When Darkness Falls
by MarsterRoo
Summary: Set 84 years after 4x22. Bonnie never put the veil back up, and hell has been unleashed on Earth. The ghosts have taken over. Klaus and Caroline haven't seen each other since that fateful day in Mystic Falls. After 84 years they're finally reunited, will they find love, and can they stop Qetsiyah's reign?
1. Chapter 1

******Big thank you to nfinneman for making the cover for this story.**

**Thanks for stopping by my new story. I wanted to get this out before 4x23 aired as this is my version of it. Everything that has happened up through 4x22 has taken place, with the exception of the Klayley baby.**

_**Prologue**_

_**Mystic Falls 2011**_

"We have a problem," Bonnie said, the boarding house door slamming shut behind her.

"Tell me about it," Damon said sarcastically, bottle of scotch in his hand.

"Are you okay?" Caroline asked. She pulled her best friend into a tight hug. The things that had happened the past few hours had shaken them all. But Bonnie had been at the helm of it.

"I think so," Bonnie said, squeezing her tight.

"Elijah and Niklaus are on their way." Rebekah walked in from the back porch, pink cell phone in hand.

Caroline swallowed, Klaus was coming back. He wouldn't stay though, not like it mattered. She didn't care if he ran away to New Orleans, of course not. How many times did she have to say that, before she believed it?

"Great, maybe your psychotic brother will listen to them and stop trying to kill Elena," Damon said.

"We have more important things to worry about than Kol," Bonnie stated. All attention turned toward her.

Bonnie sucked in a deep breath. "The longer the veil is down, the more deceased supernatural creatures can slip through. If we don't get them back in there by the full moon tonight, they'll be here permanently."

"What?" Multiple voices rang out at the same time.

"It's Qetsiyah, she wants the cure for Silas. If we don't give it to her, or get Silas to take it, she will unleash hell on earth," Bonnie said, looking around at everyone in the room.

"Where is the cure?" Jeremy asked.

"It's in a safe spot," Damon exhaled.

"Please tell me you did a better job than the moonstone," Alaric sighed.

"It's safe," Damon reiterated.

"We need to give it to Qetsiyah," Bonnie said.

"No, we don't." Damon took a long drink from the bottle.

"Maybe we should think about it, who all has she brought back?" Caroline asked, arms crossed over her chest.

"The hunters," Rebekah said standing up. "Some of them old hunters."

"The twelve hybrids and witches killed for the expression triangle too," Bonnie replied. "She's got her own supernatural army."

Caroline sunk down into the couch. Sometimes she could smack Damon for his idiocy. Everything revolved around Elena. Elena didn't even want the stupid cure anymore.

"But it's not just them, I mean Ric and Jeremy, Lexi, they're back too," Caroline said motioning her arm as she called off each name.

"Anyone can come back, Care. They have to have a reason," Bonnie said sympathetically.

"So Mikael and Esther could come back?" Rebekah fell into the couch a defeated look on her face.

"Yeah," Bonnie confirmed.

"Let's say we give Qetsiyah the cure, what's to keep her from double crossing us?" Damon asked.

Bonnie looked down at the floor. "Nothing, we're just going to have to trust her."

"Trust her?" Damon scoffed.

"I'm not so sure trusting her is the best idea," Stefan agreed. "We've trusted people in the past and that hasn't exactly gotten us anywhere."

"And unleashing all the supernatural creatures back into the world is?" Caroline asked. Were they crazy. Who knew how many vampire hunters were running around now? They'd all have to leave their homes. They could be chased down.

"We'll find another way," Damon shrugged. "We always do."

"So what are we supposed to do until then?" Rebekah asked incredulously.

"We continue with our normal lives. Graduation is today. We do that," Caroline said standing up. She hadn't worked the past thirteen years of her life and earned valedictorian to not appear at her high school graduation.

"Just continue on?" Rebekah questioned frowning.

"I think it's a good idea," Elena nodded.

"Have you forgotten about the death threats on the entire town?" Matt asked his hand resting on top of Rebekah's.

"No, but the best way to protect everyone is by keeping our eyes open, and going about our daily routines with them." Caroline said.

XXXXX

Klaus felt his breath catch as he caught sight of her. She walked toward the stage with such confidence and light radiating off of her. She truly was magnificent. Caroline Forbes had bewitched him. He wanted to ask her to come to New Orleans with him, but feared rejection.

Granted, things had improved between them, but they weren't there yet. With everything going on in New Orleans he wasn't sure it was the best idea either. The fight brewing between the witches and Marcel was bound to get ugly. Then again, things here weren't so great either. In the end keeping her safe was all that mattered.

"I thought I might find you lurking here," Kol said from behind him.

"Hello brother," Klaus greeted, he'd heard from Rebekah he was back, but his breath still caught, and heart clenched at seeing Kol.

"You know Nik, out of all our siblings you're the only one that mourned me." Kol's eyes focused on the stage as Caroline walked across it. "I see you're making headway with the girl."

"Leave Caroline alone," Klaus warned.

"No fears, brother, my attention is focused on her doppelganger friend." An evil smirk graced his face. "I'll avenge myself, before the veil is lowered."

"You'll die again," Klaus frowned.

"I'm already dead," Kol shrugged. "Tell me the idiots are actually going to do something right for once."

"Logic seems to fail them most of the time. What happens if they don't do it?" Klaus asked already dreading the answer.

"Hell on earth is unleashed. Without Silas and the cure, the veil will not be closed. All supernatural creatures that have come out to play will be free to roam. Full moons tonight brother, I'd press your little blonde friend for information. This particular spell can only be done on a partial lunar eclipse accompanied by the blue moon, I haven't looked at a calendar, but I'd venture to say the next one isn't for a while." Kol clapped him on the back and then disappeared into thin air.

XXXXX

It had taken most of the afternoon to track Caroline down. She'd disappeared as well as Bonnie after the ceremony. He'd checked her home, the grill, and the Salvatore's with no luck. Hope almost gone he'd gone to the police station. To his surprise there she sat.

"Caroline," he said softly.

Caroline's blue eyes snapped up to meet his, a small smile on her face. "Hi." She stood up quickly brushing off her floral dress. "You came back."

"Well, when Bekah told Elijah what was happening," he paused looking at her. Should he mention he missed her, and regretted not saying goodbye? Uncertainty filled him, Caroline was the only woman to ever make him feel this way. "I knew how important today would be for you."

Her smile widened and blue eyes sparkled. "It's hard to believe it's over."

Klaus nodded. "I got something for you."

"You didn't have to," Caroline said quietly.

Klaus reached down into his pocket and pulled out the small rolled up parchment and jewelry box. "I wanted to, it is what friends do."

Caroline swallowed and looked at the objects. "Thank you."

Her fingers brushed against his as she accepted the gifts. He watched, as she slid the ribbon off the parchment first, and unrolled it. Her breathing hitched, and she looked up at him with unshed tears, eyes flicking between the drawing and him.

"This is, wow, thank you," she whispered. "When did you do this? This is incredible."

"The two of you were leaving The Mystic Grill one night and I happened to see," Klaus answered honestly. He was glad she liked it.

Caroline bit her lip as her fingers traced across the top of the jewelry box. He really hoped she didn't throw the bracelet at him. Again.

Caroline didn't need to open the box to know what was in it. It was the bracelet, she was sure of it. Things had changed between them since then. It was a lavish gift to give a friend, but Klaus was, well he was Klaus.

She popped the box open and looked down at the sparkling bracelet, even more magnificent than she remembered. "Will you help me?" Taking the bracelet out she held it out to him.

Klaus smiled as he took the bracelet. His fingers grazed sinfully across her skin, heat scorching her from his touch. He clasped the snap, his hand lingering a moment longer before he removed it.

His eyes met hers, and she felt her heart thud rapidly in her chest. His raspberry lips called out to be kissed. Her body moved forward of its own volition.

A loud shriek echoed through the night air, drawing her back to her senses. Klaus turned and they both looked at the scene unfolding across the street.

April Young laid in the grass a stake protruding from her chest. "Oh my god," Caroline gasped, eyes frantically looking for the culprit.

"Do you know where the cure is?" Klaus questioned eyes searching hers.

"Damon has it, he won't say, Bonnie and I, we looked everywhere." Caroline said as she tried in vain to think where Damon might have hidden it. They'd literally torn every place they could think of a part looking for it.

Klaus grumbled something under his breath. A group of hybrids and witches, as well as, whom she could only imagine were hunters, made their way towards them.

The streets filled with supernatural and human alike as panic began to ensue.

"What's going on?" Liz asked stopping on the steps behind them.

"Hell on earth," Caroline whispered.

"You both should leave," Klaus said turning back to her arm on her shoulder. "Go Caroline."

Caroline nodded, convincing her mom would be difficult, but she didn't see any other choice.

Another ear piercing scream raked through the air.

"Rebekah," Klaus whispered, eyes searching for his sister.

"Go, we'll be fine," Caroline urged. He turned back a look on his face that she couldn't even begin to decipher. "Be careful," she called as he raced off.

XXXXX

"Drink," Rebekah yelled angered. "You'll die if you don't."

Matt let the warm liquid slide down his throat, closing his eyes as the laceration across his stomach slowly knit itself back together. He breathed in large gulps of air his lungs properly working again.

"Are you okay?" Rebekah hovered over him, her hands frantically cupping his face.

"I think so," he managed to get out after a moment.

"Thank god," Rebekah bent down her lips colliding against his.

"Bekah?" Klaus said stopping next to her. He looked irate, if looks could kill.

"Nik," Rebekah said looking up at her brother.

"Go home, I'll meet you there," he growled as gunfire started to erupt.

"What why?" Rebekah questioned.

Nik glared at her and she sighed. _Caroline._ He was looking for Caroline.

Rebekah nodded tears sliding down her cheeks as she pulled Matt up and ran towards his truck.

XXXXX

"Where the hell is the cure?" Bonnie yelled at Damon as she ran into The Grill.

"Calm down," Damon retorted, patting the bar stool beside him.

"Calm down? Do you have any idea what is going on outside right now?" Bonnie screeched at him pointing to the door as a loud gunshot cracked through the air. "Where is Elena we need to leave?"

"She went to the bathroom with Lexi." Stefan said. "What's going on?"

"The supernatural creatures are tearing everyone apart in the streets. We have to hand over the cure, and do it now." Bonnie said, holding out her hand. "Where is it? We need to give it to Silas before the full moon reaches its apex."

Damon glared his blue eyes piercing Bonnie. He reached into his inner jacket pocket pulling out the small tube. "This better fix things."

"This better not be too late," she snapped back taking the cure from his hands. "Where is Silas?"

"Luckily for you he's still jerkified in my trunk, good thing graduation was today, or he'd be buried in the ocean by now," Damon said, jingling his keys in her face.

"I'll get Elena and Lexi, meet you out front," Stefan said standing up and heading toward the bathroom.

Bonnie followed Damon outside and around the corner to his car. The majority of the fighting was taking place by the sheriff's station, for the moment they were safe, but that probably wouldn't last for long.

Damon shoved his keys into the trunk and popped the lid.

"Where is he?" Bonnie asked horrified as they both gaped at the empty trunk.

"Oh come on." Damon slammed the trunk lid closed. "It's not like he got up and walked away."

"Damon if we don't give Qetsiyah Silas and the cure today, all of the supernatural beings are here to stay," Bonnie exclaimed.

XXXXX

Stefan pounded on the bathroom door. Panic flooded him when he got no reply. Pushing roughly the door hit something with a soft thud. The first thing he saw was a pair of legs.

"Lexi?" Stefan rushed to his friend cradling her to him. Her eyes blinked open confused. "What happened?"

Lexi grimaced sitting up, rubbing her neck. "I'm not sure, we were talking and everything went black."

Glass shattered, followed by loud screams.

"We need to get out of here." Stefan pulled Lexi to her feet and opened the bathroom door, leading her out the back way.

XXXXX

"Elijah," Rebekah called, running into the mansion. He had to be here. Matt followed behind her.

"Rebekah?" Elijah said coming from his bedroom Katherine following behind him. "What's going on?" He asked straightening out his suit coat.

Rebekah raised an eyebrow looking between the two of them. "The veil, all the supernatural creatures are running amuck."

Elijah opened his mouth to say something when the front door crashed open, and footsteps sounded inside the mansion.

"We need to go," Elijah said, leading the way to the garage.

"But Nik," Rebekah said, they had hit a rough spot, but leaving him behind truly leaving him. Could she do that?

"Will be fine, Rebekah he is the original hybrid," Elijah assured. "If I know our brother he will find us."

XXXXX

Caroline knocked the hunter away from her and her mother. She didn't know if the hunters curse still applied since technically he was already dead, but didn't want to find out the hard way.

"Mom we need to leave," Caroline said, chancing a glance at her mom. "Everyone that had the opportunity to get out has already. Ric and Jeremy are helping the last batch of people out now." She pointed to their retreating forms. A child grasped tightly to Jeremy's neck as they rounded the corner.

"Alright," Liz nodded.

They walked side by side towards the police cruiser parked at the end of the ally. She looked around for Klaus, Bonnie, Elena, anyone else who was still out in the town square, but didn't see them at the moment. Caroline could only hope that they were okay.

"Get in," Liz yelled above the chaos as she unlocked the car and headed to the driver's side.

Caroline opened her door at the same time as her mom. Liz started to climb in but pitched forward into the car and then slumped back out to the street.

"Mom," Caroline panicked. She raced to the other side of the car heart in her throat. "Mom?"

Caroline knelt next to her mom tears sliding down her face, an arrow pierced through the front of Liz. Liz reached up a hand to gently touch her cheek as she gurgled unable to form words. Liz's eyes slid shut.

"No, no, no." Caroline bit into her wrist and thrust it to her mother's lips. "Drink mom, it's going to be okay." Nothing happened. Caroline sobbed pushing the hair from Liz's face. "Come on mommy, you can't leave me. Please drink."

Her wrist shook violently as it healed itself. Blood ran down her mother's chin and out of the corner of her mouth. Caroline bit into her wrist again, letting her blood drip into Liz's mouth. _She's not dead, she's not dead, she's not dead._

"Please wake up," she sobbed laying her head on her mother's chest. "Please."

Liz lay lifeless, the vampire blood having no effect. She was dead. Caroline's heart twisted painfully, her eyes and throat began to burn from the sobs that racked her whole body. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Her mom was supposed to be an old woman, safe and sound in her bed when she died.

"Caroline?"

Warm hands gripped her shoulders and pulled her up.

"She's dead, I couldn't heal her," Caroline choked out between sobs.

"Hey, hey look at me, Care," Tyler said his hands cupping her face. "We have to get out of here."

"No, I can't just leave her in the street." Caroline pulled away stumbling back into the car.

"We have to go, Care, now." Tyler said gripping her by the shoulders.

Caroline shook her head wildly. How could she just leave her mother's body in the street? Her eyes flew around the street, until they landed on Klaus. Their eyes met and her heart stopped. Calmness fell over her.

The moment shattered as an arrow zoomed by zipping through the glass window of the car. Glass flew and stuck in her arm.

"We have to go, Caroline," Tyler pleaded.

Caroline nodded as another arrow flew by. Tyler took her hand and pulled her away at vamp speed. With one last glance back, she tried to find Klaus but couldn't. He was gone.

XXXXX

Klaus couldn't find Kol, though he was certain he could take care of himself, it was Caroline he was worried about. Had she left, had she made it out okay? Fear gnawed at him from the inside out.

After what felt an eternity of searching he spotted her, his heart dropped when he saw who was with her. Tyler. Unable to help himself he took a step toward her.

Tears streaked her face and he heard her yell as she pushed away from Tyler. "No, I can't just leave her in the street."

His eyes flicked down to the body in the street. Her mother. He swallowed down a painful lump, he didn't care one way or another about Liz Forbes, but seeing Caroline that distraught tugged at something inside him.

Tyler gripped her by the shoulders. "We have to go, Care, now."

Caroline shook her head no, her eyes finding him and locking onto his. His breathing hitched as he stared into her blue eyes, so far away, yet so close. The moment stretched for an eternity between them. What was she thinking?

An arrow whizzed by and shattered the glass window of the police cruiser ending the spell they'd been under.

"Hello Niklaus."

Klaus froze and grit his teeth as he turned. Mikael and Esther stood before him.

"One big unhappy family reunion, I see your friend failed." Kol said coming up beside him with an unconscious doppelganger slung over his shoulder. "Moon is past its apex." He pointed to the sky.

Esther shook her head disgusted.

"What do you want?" Klaus growled.

"What we've always wanted, boy, to end your abominable existence," Mikeal sneered.

"Call me crazy, but you seem to be lacking a white oak stake. Or is this going to be an epic battle lasting months or years?" Kol questioned shifting Elena on his shoulder.

"You know I've always enjoyed the hunt, Kol." Mikael sneered.

Klaus ground his teeth. His father was taunting him. He wanted him to live constantly looking over his shoulder. It was the ultimate punishment, never having peace, and always sleeping with one eye open.

Mikael chuckled taking Esther's hand and leading her away.

"Come on, Nik, we should go," Kol said.

Klaus nodded he wanted to drive his hand through Mikael and Esther's chest, but how did you kill someone who was already dead?

He turned looking for Caroline, but she was already gone. Hopefully she was safe, wherever she ended up. They'd meet again one day.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed. This is just the prologue setting everything up. Next chapter will take place in the future. **

**My goal is to update every Thursday.**

** Also if any of you wonderful and talented gif makers would like to make a cover for this please let me know. **

** You can follow me on tumblr, same user name, marsterroo.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who followed, favorited, and reviewed this story. Your support is amazing. **

**Apologies for the late update. We have been without internet since Wednesday night. **

XXXXX

**Berlin, Germany **

**July 30****th****, 2095**

Klaus paced the hotel suite impatiently. The sweltering summer heat made the rundown hotel reek of body odor, sex, and sweat.

The more time passed, the more irritable he became. She was late. The suspense was killing him. This was their first big break in years. He just hoped it panned out.

The fire escape door squeaked open at the end of the hall. Klaus stopped his pacing, eyes trained on the door. Feminine footsteps padded along the worn hallway carpet, stopping in front of their door. With a soft click the door opened.

"You're late," Kol said from his spot on the couch.

"Well, let's just say this was a special friend of Katherine's," Elena said stepping out of the giant heels she wore.

"What does that mean?" Kol shot up from the raggedy couch causing it to squeak, and appeared in front of Elena.

"I had to lay on a little extra charm and flirt, that's all," Elena said leaning into Kol, pressing her forehead against his.

"Did you expect anything different from one of Katerina's lackey's?" Klaus questioned.

Kol growled, but Elena wrapped her hands around him. "It's okay, I batted my eyes and flirted, he bought that I was Katherine."

Klaus rolled his eyes as Kol and Elena shared a moment, and he heard the sickening smack of their lips connecting. He grumbled under his breath.

"What did you find out?" Klaus growled when it became obvious they had no intention of stopping anytime soon.

Elena pulled away her cheeks flushed red. "He was overzealous because Elijah wasn't with me, or Rebekah."

"Then they're still together," Klaus nodded pleased that his siblings had each other amongst the chaos.

Klaus had spoken briefly to Elijah after the events in Mystic Falls, but once everything had gone dark there had been no way to contact each other, and they were unable to meet in New Orleans as they had planned.

"It would appear so, and they're looking for Bonnie as well as you two. I have a lead on Bonnie." She hesitated for a moment before continuing, "He also said he had information on a hybrid living in Cincinnati, Ohio, but didn't think it was the one we were looking for."

"Since there are only two hybrids and we're not in Cincinnati," Kol smirked. "Good to know our siblings are looking for us, I wasn't sure."

"There's one more thing, he said he wasn't expecting me for another two weeks."

"Which means Elijah and Bekah or at least Katerina will be here in two weeks." Klaus sat down on the couch, after all this time they could be reunited. There was still a small window of opportunity to find Caroline though. He couldn't let that go to waste. "I'm going to Cincinnati."

"Our first priority should be finding the witch, Nik, you know that," Kol reminded him.

"Then you two go and hunt down the witch."

"Nik, we should stay together."

Klaus glared at his brother. The last image he had of Caroline was broken and teary eyed. He needed to know that she was okay, that she was alive. Not knowing haunted him. Caroline Forbes was the first person he'd ever truly cared about outside of family, he couldn't lose her.

"We have two weeks, we can check out both, and be back in enough time to intercept Elijah and Rebekah," Elena intervened.

"True, it's not like I want to vacation here." Kol motioned to their shabby surroundings. The once great and lavish hotel was now thrashed and inhabited by vampires and a few lowly humans.

"We check out the lead on Tyler Lockwood first," Klaus said walking to his bedroom to pack up the few belongings he had with him.

XXXXX

**Cincinnati, Ohio **

**August 1****st****, 2095**

Klaus pulled to a stop in front of the quaint little ranch in the middle of nowhere. His heart thudded against his chest as he climbed out of the car and walked to the door. Would she be here? Would she answer the door? What if her and Tyler were still together and in love?

Kol and Elena followed behind him their footsteps crunching on the gravel. The front door opened and Tyler stepped out looking at them bewilderedly.

"Hello, mate," Klaus smirked.

"What are you doing here?" Tyler asked swallowing back his fear that leaked off him in waves.

"Is Caroline here?" Elena asked stepping forward.

"Katherine?"

"Elena," she corrected.

Tyler looked confused, as his eyes flickered between the three of them.

"It's good to see you, Tyler." Elena said quietly.

"I never thought I'd see you again," Tyler replied after a long moment. "Let alone, see you with them."

"It's a long story for another time," Klaus growled. He didn't want to have story hour, he wanted to find out about Caroline.

"Have you had any contact with Jeremy, Bonnie or Matt? Is Caroline here?" Elena asked.

Tyler sighed and took a step back. "I haven't seen anybody since we left. We were supposed to meet Bonnie in New Orleans. Damon, Alaric, and Jeremy were with her. The blackout and everything happened just before we got there we never found them, and after that we had no way to contact them. I don't know what happened to them."

"Whose here, Ty?" A woman called, opening the screen door.

"Stay inside," Tyler said a tinge of panic in his voice as he spun around.

The brunette woman nodded and closed the door but continued to watch.

"She doesn't look like Caroline," Kol observed.

"No, she doesn't," Klaus glared at Tyler.

"Caroline's not here, I don't know where she is, or if she's alive."

"What do you mean?" Klaus charged Tyler, and gripped him by the neck, lifting him off the ground. He'd searched Tyler out given him permission to come back on the condition that he would take care of Caroline. He'd let everything else slide, for her, but if his negligence had caused her death, that could never be forgiven.

"Klaus stop," Elena yelled.

Rage filled Klaus his grip tightened as Tyler wrenched trying to free himself. His temper getting the best of him he placed his other hand on Tyler's neck and twisted throwing him on the ground in a heap.

"No," the woman gasped running onto the porch.

Klaus smiled and sped towards her. Her heart beat frantically, pulse throbbing, she was human. He grabbed her and pulled her to him, eyes dilating. "Why don't you invite us inside, love?"

"I'm on vervain," she whispered tears building in her eyes.

"Isn't everyone, but the thing is, you're out here instead of in there. Now be a good girl and invite us in, or I can make things quite painful for young Tyler here."

Her frightened eyes shifted toward Tyler then back to him. "Come in."

**Gatlinburg Tennessee **

**June 12****th****, 2011**

_Klaus walked into the hotel room and paused. The table was overturned, TV knocked on the floor, and one of the beds flipped over onto its side. _

_The other bed was inhabited by the doppelganger. Her neck twisted at an awkward angle. Blood smeared the sheets, but whatever injuries she'd had were healed, except her neck. That always took a little longer._

"_She certainly has fire, doesn't she," Kol said from his perch in the corner. He lifted a bottle of bourbon to his lips and took a long swig._

"_Rough night?" Klaus asked observing the disarrayed furniture._

"_I was getting bored so I untied her, told her I was letting her go, and then just as she was about to walk out the door," Kol smiled and clapped his hands together dramatically "Bam."_

"_How long are you going to hold a grudge, brother?"_

"_How long are you? I know it takes you a century or two, sometimes longer. Needless to say, Nik, I don't think you're really the one to be giving me a lecture." _

"_Things are different now. We need to keep her alive to find the Bennett witch. She is our leverage," Klaus glared._

"_To send me back to hell, Nik?"_

"_I'm sure there is a way to keep you here. Father and the hunters are out of control. It's been two weeks and look at what they did to New Orleans. Rebekah and Elijah were there," Klaus said flipping the bed back over so he could sit down._

"_The nice thing about being a ghost is I can't die," Kol shrugged._

"_And what about our family? Esther will find a way to kill us, Mikael could have more white oak stakes." His mind drifted to the white oak stake Elijah had given him. Thankful he'd hidden it safely away where no one would find it._

"_Please, Nik, Bekah mourned me for all of two seconds, and Elijah is so disgusted by us he hardly cared. I don't care what happens to them."_

"_You don't mean that."_

"_Don't I? I watched you from the other side, even you did little to avenge my death," Kol glared taking another long sip of his liquor. "Do you think I want the veil lifted so I can go back to the other side for eternity? You don't know what it's like there."_

"_Bonnie Bennett is the strongest witch I've ever met. We have something to negotiate with." He motioned toward Elena. "Providing you don't kill her."_

"_Are you sure that is it? Keeping her alive doesn't have anything to do with a certain blonde vampire? What is it about her anyway, I've never seen you so captivated by anyone, not even Tatia," Kol studied him thoughtfully._

"_Enough Kol."_

"_I thought she ran off with your hybrid, I bet their making sweet love right…"_

_ Klaus didn't give Kol a chance to finish as he slammed him into the wall. To his dismay Kol only laughed._

_ "So angry, Nik."_

_ "You're making this into a joke," he sneered shoving Kol as he walked away. "Bonnie Bennett is the one who lowered the veil she is the only one who can fix this."_

_ "Relax, Nik, we have years to find her. The veil can only be closed and lowered on a blue moon lunar eclipse," Kol leaned against the wall shrugging. "Those don't happen very often._

_ Klaus was about to respond, when Elena sat up with a gasp._

_ "Well, look who is awake, are you ready for another go, darling?" _

XXXXX

**Cincinnati, Ohio**

**August 1****st**** 2095**

"Rise and shine," Kol smirked as Tyler blinked awake.

"What?" Tyler questioned sitting up quickly. His eyes flicked to the young woman sitting with Elena on the couch. "Are you okay?"

"Relax, we haven't hurt her, you on the other hand, I could make an exception for. Now tell me about Caroline," Klaus said staring at Tyler.

"Why should I tell you anything?" Tyler snarled, pushing himself to his feet.

"Do I need to remind you what happened the last time you tried to be the alpha male?" Klaus took a menacing step forward. "As I recall it took a certain blonde to get you out of that mess, and at the moment I don't see her here."

"Why do you care so much about Caroline?" Tyler questioned.

"Please Tyler, we just want to know," Elena said softly. "It's important that we find Bonnie and Caroline if possible. Please will you tell us?"

Tyler looked at Elena and then to the unknown brunette woman before returning to the couch to have a seat. "After we left Mystic Falls, Care, was able to get a hold of Bonnie the next day. She knew that you lived in New Orleans, and thought you might go back. Caroline thought that you were the best bet to help stop whatever was going on." Tyler sighed glaring at Klaus. Klaus couldn't help but smile at the thought of Caroline wanting to search him out.

"We all agreed to meet at a shop on Bourbon Street two days later. Bonnie was attempting to do a locator spell for you and Matt. You two were the only ones we didn't know where you were." Tyler nodded at Elena.

"Matt was with Rebekah," Elena murmured.

"We were just outside of New Orleans when the attack happened, within seconds the city was burning before our eyes. All cell phone signals were jammed, the power went out, we tried to get in, but there were witches and hunters everywhere. So we fled. After that we were together for about four years before we broke things off. We stayed friends over the years and met up every so often." Tyler sighed and looked at the floor. "I visited her in Rio about eight years ago. She had a place there. I left a week before Mikael and the hunters went through there. I haven't heard from her since."

Elena closed her eyes and sighed. Klaus clenched and unclenched his fists trying to see anything but red. Caroline wasn't dead, she couldn't be. This was why he didn't care, it was a weakness. He hated the ache in his chest at the thought of never seeing her smiling face again.

He'd done everything to rid his mind of her. Nothing had worked. Somehow the blonde baby vampire had found her way into his heart, and he had to find her. He'd known his feelings for her were strong, but hadn't realized how strong until she'd been lost.

"What about everyone else?" Elena asked softly.

"I'm sorry. We never met up with or heard from anyone else after New Orleans. I wish I could tell you more."

XXXXX

**Mystic Falls**

**January 15****th**** 2011**

_Caroline's breathing was shallow and labored, her eyes heavily hooded. It wouldn't be much longer now, Klaus thought. If she would just stop talking, it would make this so much easier. Perhaps he could pretend she wasn't here._

"_I know that you're in love with me," she whispered hoarsely. "And anybody capable of love, can be saved."_

_Klaus ground his teeth, his breath hitched as he watched her. This wasn't her, she was too far gone to know what she was saying. "You're hallucinating."_

"_I guess I'll never know," she murmured just above a whisper. She gurgled and sucked in a ragged breath before letting out a long sigh. Her arm fell lifelessly off the couch._

"_Caroline."_

_Klaus' heart stopped as he looked at her, she was dying. "Caroline?" No answer, she wasn't breathing anymore, this was it, the end. He could be free from this weakness. Free from her hold over him._

_Yet if she died, he was certain he would never meet anyone else like her. Caroline was strong, smart, beautiful, and so full of light it radiated from her being. The world needed people like her, he needed her. He was in love with her._

_It didn't matter that he was going against himself, he couldn't let her die. Gently he lifted her taking a seat behind her. He bit into his wrist, placing it at her lips, willing her to latch on. What if he'd waited too long? What if she withered away and became grey in his arms? Terror gripped him as he waited second by second for any sign of life. He didn't want to be alone anymore._

_He felt a prick in his wrist her warm soft hands grasped onto his hand. Tears pricked his eyes, the ache pressing on his chest slowly lifted. She was alive. Relishing in the moment, the transfer of blood so intimate, and the connection linking him to her soul. Unable to help himself he ran his hand through her silky blonde hair._

_Her fangs retracted from his wrist her hand fell away and her head lulled against his chest. She was unconscious, but alive. Klaus couldn't let her go yet, it was selfish, but he wanted to hold her for just a moment longer. For when she woke, he was certain he wouldn't be allowed this close to her again._

"_I'll never hurt you again. I'll keep you safe always and forever, Caroline," he promised, pulling her closer hand still wound in her soft hair. _

_Klaus held Caroline through the night, arms wrapped tightly, and protectively around her. His head swam with ways he could make it up to her, with things he could say to earn her forgiveness. He wanted to make it better, but didn't know how. No one in his very long existence, had ever seen the humanity in him, or looked at him like Caroline did, not even Elijah. Would she still see it when she woke?_

_A soft sigh escaped her lips, and her eyelids began to flutter. Carefully Klaus shifted and moved out from underneath her. He sat back down on the coffee table as she slowly came to._

_Caroline's eyes slowly blinked open, her hand flying to her neck. She turned looking to him confused as she pushed herself up. _

_Klaus waited for her to say something as her eyes locked on his, but she didn't. A flicker of emotions crossed her face. The moment was intense, as if she were looking into his soul, searching for what he had no idea._

"_I'm sorry." The words slipped out before he could stop them. The words foreign to him, but to her they came out so easily, because for once, he'd done something that he truly regretted._

_Caroline nodded, eyes still fixed on his. She opened her mouth to speak when her cell phone rang. Blinking she pulled away from the trance and walked to grab it._

XXXXX

**Cincinnati, Ohio**

**August 2****nd**** 2095**

"You're going to look for her, aren't you?" Elena said softly. She came out of the bedroom she was sharing with Kol arms crossed over herself.

"Tell Kol I'll meet you in Berlin. I just want to check out her place in Rio. See if I can get any leads. You don't need me to find Bonnie anyways," Klaus sighed hand on the door knob.

"You know if she was in Rio, the chances of…."

"Elena, don't." Klaus didn't want to hear it. Finding her would already be hard enough having little information to go on. Let alone information that was years old. Caroline was smart, she would have covered her tracks, that didn't mean it wasn't worth investigating.

Elena swallowed and looked at the floor. "She was my best friend, Klaus. We've seen what Mikael and the hunters do to cities where supernatural creatures reside. They tear everything apart and kill every being in them. I think we should prepare for the possibility that Caroline and maybe even Bonnie, might be dead."

"She's strong," Klaus ground out in frustration.

"I know, she's the strongest person I've ever met, and she has been through so much, but I know that if I were by myself, I wouldn't have made it. It's crazy out there, Klaus. Look at how many close calls we've had."

"I guess that's the difference between the two of you than. Caroline can make it on her own, and you can't. Honestly, Elena, you've never had to do anything for yourself, you had the Salvatore brothers watching your every move in Mystic Falls, and have been with Kol and I for the past eighty four years. Caroline is a fighter, and she is alive." Klaus said as he walked out the door slamming it behind him. Caroline was strong and she was alive, she had to be.

Despite his hopes, Elena's words had gotten to him. The free zones were dangerous. If it wasn't the hunters it could be another vampire, werewolf, witch, or even humans that did you in.

The world had changed drastically in eighty four years. With the full force of Esther and every hunter ever created, plus the help of the twelve witches, and twelve hybrids sacrificed, Mikael had made an army. An army that consisted of ghosts that had retained their powers but could not be killed. An army that had spread across the United States than other countries. They were unstoppable.

Most humans lived inside the safe zones now. Even if they didn't, vervain was in most public water supplies, feeding was difficult at times.

Ironically Mikael had kept the supernatural presence contained. Only the elite group of soldiers that protected the safe zones, and the humans brave or stupid enough to live outside of the protected areas were aware of the things that went bump in the night.

After knocking out the power globally, pandemonium had broken out. Then pockets of electricity popped up, naturally the humans flocked there creating new cities and high sky rises. They'd gone right where Mikael had intended them to. Mikael had a perfect controlled society, and slowly but surely, was eliminating all the vampires.

XXXXX

**Tallahassee, Florida**

**August 6****th****, 2095**

Caroline walked down the busy street. This was one of the rare places that still had power outside the human safe zones. Tallahassee was just outside the safe zones but was close enough to be a hot spot. It was nice to take a nice hot shower every once in a while. Too bad she couldn't stay for longer.

As a rule of thumb, she never stayed anywhere longer than a few days, a week or two at most. In a place like this with electricity, you were asking for trouble by staying. Setting down roots was a mistake, one she would not repeat ever again. Inhaling sharply, she cleared her senses refusing to let the memories back in.

Looking over her shoulder one last time, she entered the tiny apartment she'd commandeered. Home sweet home, at least till the morning.

She set out her things and pulled out the bag of B positive she'd been able to trade for. There was no shortage of people to feed from in this area. However, most of them were druggies, drunks, or worse. You had to be desperate to drink from them, at least in her opinion. The saying you're what you eat was true, and it seeped into their blood stream.

With a sigh she popped the lid off of the blood bag and sat back on the couch. The liquid wasn't hot, but it was warm and coated her throat nicely as she swallowed the sweet coppery liquid.

Her meal finished, she pulled out her belongings from her bag to take inventory. As a drifter she didn't keep much. A few changes of clothes, some food to fight off cravings between feedings, and a few feminine necessities. Anything of value she kept on her. The necklace carrying her ring, and the bracelet and drawing from Klaus.

Carefully, she unrolled the crinkled parchment, and traced the two faces on the paper. He'd captured them so perfectly. Now it was the only picture she would ever have of the two of them.

Her bottom lip trembled as she looked at the picture. A reminder of how alone she was. It was better this way, if you had no one, you couldn't be hurt.

**A/N: Normally I don't do scenes from the show, but I thought that it helped show how and why Klaus feels about Caroline, and it's more of a clipped variation. So I made an exception. **

**I would love to hear your thoughts. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean**

**August 7****th**** 2095**

Klaus leaned back in his seat. This by far was not a first class seat. They had been lucky to get a flight at all. Despite everything he still had a reputation. People feared him, and it got him things.

Rio had been a bust. Klaus had found what was left of the place Caroline had once called home. He had traced a few leads, but nothing concrete. It appeared she was drifting, which would make her next to impossible to find. It was for the best, she would be safer not setting down roots.

"I'm sure she is out there somewhere, Nik." Kol came down the aisle taking the seat next to him.

Klaus sighed, glaring at his brother. "You should have left me to my own devices."

Klaus had been less than pleased when Elena and Kol had shown up at the air strip a few days ago. Elena had given him a simple shrug. They both knew that there was no talking Kol out of something once he set his mind to it.

"We stick together, Nik, remember?"

Klaus rested his head on the seat and looked at the cream ceiling above him. "If you wouldn't have come I could still be looking for her and met you two in Berlin."

"True, but you'd still be in the same predicament. You don't have any leads to follow. Regardless of your feelings for Caroline, we have to find Bonnie. You know that has to take priority."

"You're assuming of course that she has chosen to take herbs to prolong her life."

"Well, if she hasn't, then we are all screwed." Kol ran a hand through his hair.

"I know Bonnie, she would want to make this right. No matter what." Elena took the seat in front of them and leaned over it. "Maybe she and Caroline are together, and if not, she could do a locator spell."

"And risk using magic?" Kol interrupted. "Do I need to remind you what happened the last time we had a witch do a locator spell?"

Klaus turned to the window looking down at the blue ocean glistening under the night sky. Esther and Mikael had done a good job of cutting off the supernatural world.

XXXXX

**Chicago, Illinois**

**April 9th 2013**

_Elena followed Kol into the small shop. Incense burned making the air thick, and her nostrils sting from the overwhelming dark patchouli smell. Tapestries hung from the walls, a little old woman sat at a table a deck of cards placed before her. _

_ "How may I help you?" She asked not looking up from her cards._

_ "We were hoping you could do a locator spell." Kol leaned against the wall._

_ "I don't know what you're talking about."_

_ "I know a witch when I see one, and I don't like to play games."_

_ Elena rolled her eyes at the statement. Wasn't he playing a game right now? With the witch and with her. Somehow they'd managed a truce, or something of the sort. They'd never officially declared it, but he hadn't acted against her in several months. The teasing and ridicule had stopped as well. Not that she was complaining, it just made her leery of what he had planned. Kol still insisted she accompany him everywhere. The sad thing was even if she could leave, she wasn't sure it would be any better for her. The world was crazy, and things were actually, she shuddered to think, decent where she was now, at least compared to what a lot of people had. She had blood and a meal everyday and Kol and Klaus weren't exactly the guys to be messed with._

_ Somehow things had changed between the three of them. There were a few very rare occasions where Kol had been moderately nice to her. Elena hadn't broke either, she'd never given up or stopped fighting. Oddly enough Klaus was the mediator between them. _

_ Klaus by no means was nice to her, ever. Yet she could see his resolve to find Caroline. Admittedly she hadn't been the best friend the past year or so they'd been in Mystic Falls, and had never asked what exactly had transpired between the two of them. Something clearly had, this was Klaus the big bad, and he genuinely cared about Caroline. It was their mutual desire to find Caroline that had kept her alive in the beginning._

"_I'm sorry I can't help you," the witch stated, bringing Elena from her thoughts._

"_It's just one tiny locator spell. It will probably go unnoticed," Kol shrugged but took a menacing step toward her, his hands placed on the edges of the table as he looked down at the witch._

_A chill spiraled down Elena's spine, she recognized that look all too well. The last thing she wanted was to watch the witch meet an untimely death by Kol's hands. He did not take refusal well. "Please, please can you help us, we're looking for my friend. She's a witch also, I, we think she can stop what's happening."_

"_The only person who can stop it is the witch who lowered the veil." The witch turned her attention to Elena._

"_That's who we're looking for, Bonnie Bennett, can you help us?"_

_The witch tilted her head looking between Kol and Elena with interest. "I would need something of hers."_

_Elena took off her daylight ring. "This isn't hers, but she made it for me, will that work?"_

"_It should. If she used her magic on it, it will have left a print."_

_With a sigh she handed her daylight ring to the witch. The witch studied it for a long moment before getting up to get a map. She spread the map across the table and put paperweights on top of it to keep it from rolling back up. _

_The witch took a seat and closed her eyes as she began to chant. The lights flickered and the walls began to shake. Stucco fell from the ceiling white raining down onto them. The book shelves slammed against the wall and the tapestries billowed in a gust of wind. _

_Elena backed up, bumping into Kol._

"_Is this supposed to happen?" Elena questioned. Bonnie had done a lot of spells in front of her, but none had ever been like this._

"_No." Kol's hand steadied her as she took another step back as a ceiling panel crashed to the floor. _

_The witch gasped, hands flying to her throat, her eyes flew open, eyes black as night. The ring fell from her grasp and bounced on the table, landing and spiraling in tiny circles before coming to a stop. Blood trickled from the witch's nose as she pitched forward onto the table with a sickening smack._

_Kol and Elena stared for a moment. Confused Elena turned to Kol who looked as bewildered as she felt._

"_Is she dead?" Elena questioned after a long moment._

"_Yes, guess we now know why the witches have been so hesitant to help us. I thought they were bluffing."_

"_I think we should go." She went to grab her ring when Kol's hand grabbed hers. Elena winced under his grip, but he moved past her and looked over the ring._

"_Look where it is." He said eyeing the map. He stood back up as four streams of blood spread from the witch's nose across the map each leading in a different direction. The first one stopped under the ring the others fanning out._

"_I don't get it Bonnie can't be in four places at once." Elena pushed her long brown hair out of her face and leaned over the map._

"_This is us." Kol tapped where the ring was handing it back to her. The first trail stopped in Chicago. _

"_What about the other three?"_

"_The ring left a print." Kol said to himself as he looked at the three different locations. Atlanta, Georgia, Seoul, South Korea, and San Francisco, California. "This is you, with your ring." He tapped the paper trying to make sense of it._

_Elena looked toward the door, footsteps shuffled just outside. Tucking her hair behind her ear she heard hushed voices, but couldn't quite make out what they were saying. "Kol," she hissed. "Someone's outside."_

_Kol looked up and toward the door. "Hunters. We should go." He quickly grabbed the map and rolled it up. Yanked Elena's hand and ran toward the door._

_Kol gripped onto Elena tightly leading her away from the witch. They needed to put as much distance between them and the shop as quickly as possible. He wasn't entirely sure what was happening, but knew they had to get to Klaus. The hunters had found them and they could be very persistent._

_They zipped through the streets of Chicago towards The Drake hotel. Hopefully, Nik was back from his errand or they were really screwed. _

_He barreled into the hotel and up the flights of stairs to the pent house suite. The lack of electricity made it impossible to lock any of the doors and saved him the hassle of having to break the locks._

"_Nik," Kol yelled as he entered the suite._

_Elena fell to her knees gasping for breath from their sprint across town._

"_You clearly need to run more often," he stated walking past her further into the penthouse. "Nik, Niklaus get your ass out here, it's important." He tore through the suite looking for his brother. They needed to leave Chicago now. "Shit."_

"_What in god's name are you yelling about?" Klaus said as he entered the hotel room. He looked at Elena who was gasping for air. She sat on the plush beige carpet head between her legs._

"_We have a problem." Kol appeared in front of him._

"_What else is new?"_

"_No, Nik, we did the locator spell." Kol slapped a map on the dining table. "The witch died, and moments later hunters showed up."_

_Klaus shrugged, what did he care if the witch died. "So?"_

"_Nik, look." Kol pointed to the map. "The locator spell went wonky, it pointed out four different locations. That has to mean something."_

"_And the hunters know we are in Chicago, so we should leave."_

"_Yes, but it's not just us Nik. Elena used her daylight ring for the locator spell. The witch said that her magic would have left a print on the ring." Kol pounded his finger on the map._

"_Wait." Elena stood up and came over. "It led to my daylight ring, because Bonnie's magical print was on it. So one of these is Bonnie, one is Abby and one is Caroline, because Bonnie was the witch, and she made the rings for the three of us." She pointed to the blood smeared dots as she listed off the names._

"_You're telling me that Caroline and Bonnie are in one of these three other places?" Klaus asked staring at the map._

"_Exactly." Kol exclaimed. "That makes perfect sense."_

"_We should split up each of us can check out a location." Klaus studied the map._

"_Is that safe?" Elena questioned._

"_Darling, nowhere is safe." Kol rolled his eyes._

"_I'll go to Georgia, Kol you go to Seoul, and Elena San Francisco." _

"_Why do I have to go to Korea?" Kol pouted._

"_Because it is the most dangerous place out of all them and you're the only one who can't die."_

"_So you send the bloody doppelganger to San Francisco where no one, and I mean no one lives, what if she doesn't come back?"_

"_Why do you care if she comes back or not? I don't see her handcuffed to the bed anymore, Kol. She could leave anytime she wanted to anyways." Klaus quirked his brow at his younger brother. He wasn't sure what the deal was between Kol and Elena, but it wasn't like Kol to let a grudge go._

_Kol muttered something under his breath as he turned away. _

"_I'll come back, if it means finding my friends, I'll come back." Elena swallowed, her brown eyes directed at Kol._

_Klaus looked down at the map again as he recalled Kol's earlier words. "Wait, you said that hunters showed up moments after the spell completed. What if they now know where Caroline and Bonnie are as well? The witches death was Esther's doing, I'm sure. She can track the locations from the spell."_

**XXXXX**

**Tallahassee Florida**

**August 7****th**** 2095**

Caroline sat up startled. Screams pierced through the night air, as feet scurried across the pavement outside. Her heart hammered as she grabbed her bag and peered out the window.

People ran like a heard of wild buffalo through the streets. Smoke filled the air and billowed hundreds of feet into sky. Her eyes searched the street for hunters. They could be anywhere or anyone in the crowd.

Deciding flight was the best option, Caroline ducked out onto the street, joining the masses in their flee from the city. She whizzed by those slower than her. The faster she left the better. This wasn't her first time being stuck in the cross fire.

She had made a point of walking around the city, knowing any and all exit points. She turned left down a side street and cut through a deserted ally. In a few minutes she would reach the safety of the forest. She just needed to get there.

Adrenaline pumping, Caroline ran at vamp speed in the direction of freedom. Footsteps pounded behind her. Unsure if it was friend or foe, Caroline pressed on. Terror coursed through her body as the people behind her caught up.

A scream escaped her lips, ringing in the early morning air. Two hybrids stepped in front of her. She tried to dodge them but they were quicker and stronger.

Caroline was yanked by her arm and spun, slammed into the brick wall of a building. Her face scraped against the brittle surface painfully. Heat seared her body where it'd brutally made contact with the building.

"Well, look who we have here." One of her captors sneered into her ear.

Their breath on her ear and neck sent chills down her spine and she struggled to free herself from their iron clad grip. Her hair was wrenched back and forehead slammed into the brick. Darkness clouded her vision, pain exploded in her head threatening to pull her under. Caroline gasped as blood oozed down her face blinding her.

Caroline was spun back around a hand instantly gripped her neck. Fighting through the haze she focused on the faces. She knew them.

"It's good to see you again, Caroline," Kim snarled. Kim squeezed Caroline's neck tighter.

"Stop," Caroline barely forced the strangled word out.

"Why? Do you really think after all this time we've forgotten what you, Tyler, and Hayley did? Or what happened?" Kim released her grip on Caroline's neck and punched her hard across the jaw.

Caroline fell to the ground. She forced her eyes to stay open she looked around at the five pairs of feet. She could take them on, or would die trying.

"Tyler and I had nothing to do with that," she ground out taking a moment so her vision and head could clear.

"Really, we all know how much Klaus obsessed over you. How do we know it wasn't some grand master plan?" Kim persisted. "Or what about what happened in Atlanta? I'm dying to hear your excuse for that."

Caroline closed her eyes teeth gritted as she desperately tried to stay conscious. With a sigh, Caroline recalled the day Kim referred to, the day everything changed. The day they realized it was hell on earth.

_**Atlanta, Georgia**_

_**April 10**__**th**__** 2013**_

_ "Do you think the power is really back on here?" Caroline asked. Her hand placed firmly in Tyler's. _

_ "I don't think there would be this many people here if it weren't." Tyler squeezed her hand a little tighter._

_ Caroline had her reservations but after almost two years without electricity globally, the idea of a nice hot shower sounded nice. Still, it seemed odd that is was only back in certain areas. _

_ "Think Care, if we can get online or use cell phones we can find everyone else."_

_ Caroline nodded. They could find out if their friends had made it out of New Orleans, and where they were. She could see Bonnie and Elena again. She loved Tyler, she did, but she missed her best friends. Something was missing, she couldn't put her finger on it, but it was something._

_ They walked along the highway to the doorway of the newly formed Atlanta. Thousands of people had gathered each waiting for their turn to be processed and allowed entry. If the rumors were true, most of the south except for parts of Florida had had power returned to them. _

_ Soldier's guarded the area to keep chaos from ensuing. A lot of people were riled up. The world had been without power for a very long time. Needless to say people were eager to get it back._

_ They moved closer to their sanctuary. She and Tyler had managed, but it had been rough. People were desperate, and desperation brought about violence. It had been a rough year and a half._

_ Caroline froze as she caught site of a familiar woman. "Tyler we can't." She grabbed his arm with her free hand and pulled him back._

_ "What? Why?"_

_ She pointed with a shaky hand. "That's Esther."_

_ "Esther?" Tyler frowned following her finger. "The original witch?"_

_ "Yes."_

_ "But?"_

_ "We have to go, if she's somehow behind this I don't trust it." Caroline continued to pull him further away from the crowd._

_ "She might not even see us, Care."_

_ "Tyler, the woman tried to kill her own children and wants to end the entire vampire existence. This is not some coincidence. Think about it. The powers been out for over a year. It magically comes back on, and she's here. New Orleans was riddled with supernatural creatures and was one of the first cities to be attacked and lose power."_

_ "Shit," Tyler muttered as he began to push her away. "Your right, those are some of the hybrids Klaus killed."_

_ Tyler wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close as they briskly walked away from the city. Clear of the crowd, they veered off the highway, and into the abandoned neighborhoods. _

_ "I thought that was you." A hybrid smirked stepping in front of them._

_ "Funny you would show up here." Kim said appearing next to them._

_ "What's going on?" Tyler asked looking around at the hybrids._

_ "Oh, quite a bit actually." Kim shrugged. She took a menacing step towards them. "Since you and Hayley led us to our untimely demise via Klaus we've learned a few things and made a few new friends, who want the same things we do."_

_ "Esther isn't your friend," Caroline stated. "She will kill you the first chance she gets."  
"Perhaps, but she wants the same thing we want, and that's to kill Klaus and you," Kim said staring at them._

_ "Kim, we were friends, we can figure this out, and help you."_

_ Kim cut Tyler off racing forward and punching him in the face. Caroline gasped as Tyler reeled back._

"_We were friends, we no longer are. Your betrayal, your setup ended any friendship or kinship we had. Now, we only want to see you suffer."_

_ Tyler wiped the blood away from his nose and glared at Kim. Caroline felt like her heart might jump out of her chest it was beating so hard. She glanced around the three hybrids had them flanked. _

_ "We're going to take you back to Mikael and Esther, they will decide what to do with you," Adrian said stepping forward._

_ "Pity, I wanted to kill them now," Kim glared._

_ "Why are you taking us to them?" Caroline questioned._

_ "It's not exactly a secret that Klaus is obsessed with you, Caroline." Kim shook her head. "It's actually kind of creepy the number of paintings and drawings he had of you in his art studio."_

_ "Oh." Heat scorched Caroline's face. Klaus' thing with her had always been a sore spot with Tyler. Caroline still for the life of her couldn't figure it out, but there was something and it consumed her thoughts._

_ "Mikael wants to try and lure him out, now that he has some new white oak stakes. He won't stop until he kills all his children, but he wants Klaus to suffer the most." Kim grabbed Caroline's arm and pulled her away from Tyler. _

_ "That's his big plan, to lure Klaus in?" Caroline questioned in an attempt to stall. There had to be something they could do. It was three to two, the odds were only slightly against them. Her heart roared in her ears as she tried to think their way out of this._

_ "Not entirely," Kim smirked as she pulled Caroline further along. "In case you haven't noticed Mikael is policing the safe zone areas. Only humans are allowed in. It will be easy to pick off the rest of you. Now they're waiting for us."_

_ If they were brought out of this little cul-de-sac it would be over for them. Caroline lunged at Kim taking her to the ground fangs barred. She heard Tyler and the two hybrids with him get into a scuffle as well._

_ Everything happened in a blur as Caroline bit into Kim's neck. Kim tugged at her hair but Caroline held firm refusing to let go. Time stood still, her heart pounded in her ears, or maybe it was Kim's, she didn't know. After an eternity Kim stopped struggling and lay lifeless beneath her. Blood dribbled out of Caroline's mouth and down her chin and she pushed away from the hybrid, her glazed over eyes stared up at her accusingly._

_ Caroline stood up breathlessly, surprised by how easily she'd taken the other girl down. Tyler grunted and she turned toward him. He stood in the street, his hand bloodied and a heart in it. Tyler dropped the heart on the pavement and raced toward her pulling her into a tight embrace._

_ "Are you okay? She didn't bite you did she?" He pulled back to access her._

_ Tears pricked her eyes but she nodded. "I'm okay," she managed to choke out through the thick lump in her throat._

_ Caroline cried out and covered her mouth as the bloodied heart jumped across the black top making a suction noise as it moved towards its owner._

_ "What the fuck?" Tyler muttered._

_ Caroline shook her head as the heart slid back into the empty cavity it belonged to. The hybrids fingers wiggled slightly. "We should go."_

_ Needing no further encouragement, they both took off at a supernatural speed, needing to put as much distance as possible before the dead rose again._

**Present**

"I get the feeling you're not listening to a word I'm saying."

A sharp sting sliced across Caroline's cheek. She blinked blurriness fogging her vision. As she tried to recall what Kim was talking about. Had she passed out?

"Where is Tyler?" Kim growled her eyes golden as she stared down at her.

Caroline glared up at her. Even if she did know, there was no way she would ever sell him out. She'd considered seeking refuge with him after Rio, but had decided against it. The thought of losing someone else she cared for before her eyes had been too much. It was better not knowing.

Kim went to strike her again, Caroline ducked grabbing her hand, and stood up twisting Kim's hand until she heard the pop of the bone. Using her elbow she thrust it back connecting with Kim's face. Caroline would not go down without a fight.

Kim fell to her knees with a grunt. Caroline kicked, using the ball of her foot and connected right beneath Kim's chin, sending her reeling back. A quick survey of the area, and Caroline had mapped out what she could use as a weapon, and her route of escape.

She'd learned a lot of things since the last time she'd faced off against them, and planned on putting that knowledge to good use.

Two of the four remaining hybrids moved in on her. Caroline dodged out of the way as they attempted to snatch her. Grabbing one of their arms, she round house kicked the other. Using her momentum she spun, wrapped her hands around one of their necks, and twisted. Arms grabbed for her, and Caroline ducked out of the way, her hand gripped the back of the hybrids neck and brought him down into her knee. Pulling the hybrids up by his hair, she placed her hands around his neck, twisted and tossed him to the ground.

She turned to face off with the remaining two hybrids, but stopped in her tracks as they fell lifelessly to the ground their hearts held up in the air by their assailant.

"Oh my god," Caroline whispered.

**A/N: Yes, I know a cliffhanger, you probably hate me right now, but I did update a day earlier than planned. Curious to see who you think is with Caroline.**

**As always thank you so much to all of my readers, followers, and reviewers. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**You can follow me on tumblr, if you'd like under the same user name.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Tallahassee, Florida**

** August 7****th**** 2095**

"Not quite, but, then again, we've never been properly introduced," Elijah joked. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped at the blood on his hands.

Caroline swallowed as he walked toward her. Was he friend or foe? Elena had trusted him before, on several occasions in Mystic Falls and it had never ended well for her. She tightened her stance, prepared to run if need be. Granted, she'd learned a lot about self defense since her days in Mystic Falls, but Caroline was not naïve enough to think she could take on an original.

"There is a plane waiting for us on an airstrip a quarter of a mile from here. I was told I risked being put back in a box if I did not come to your aid." Elijah motioned to the blood on her head.

Caroline frowned at him, still weary. "Who told you that?"

"Rebekah. We must leave now, though." He pointed to the hybrids. "They don't stay down for long."

"Alright," she agreed. It wasn't like there was any other choice.

Elijah nodded and zoomed away. Caroline raced after him as they zipped in and out of dark corners and through abandoned streets. Less than a minute later, they entered a small hanger, the sounds of a jet engine rumbled shaking the ground beneath her.

"Elijah, thank god."

Caroline felt her heart stop at the sight of the doppelganger, but then it dropped when she recognized the curls and the demeanor. It was Katherine Pierce, not Elena Gilbert. Not a day went by that Caroline didn't think about her friends.

"We should go." Elijah placed a chaste kiss to Katherine's lips before pulling away.

"Caroline?"

Caroline smiled, tears pricked her eyes as Matt peered out from the plane. "Matt, oh my god." She rushed up the stairs of the jet and pulled him into a tight hug. "Look at you, you're a…"

"Yes, yes, we know. Can we save the reunion for the flight." Rebekah interrupted from her seat.

Elijah and Katherine climbed aboard and the door closed behind them. The plane started to move and Caroline stumbled, gripping the seat behind her for support. Everyone else quickly took a seat and she slid into the leather chair in front of her. If this were anyone else but the originals, she would question how they still had such luxuries.

As Caroline settled into her seat, she could feel eyes boring into her and looked up to meet Rebekah's icy glare. It had been eighty-four long years, surely she wasn't still holding some sort of a grudge. Goodness knew there were more important things to worry about than whatever Rebekah was holding against her.

"So I'm assuming, since you were running for your pathetic life, you have no idea where my brother is," Rebekah snipped.

Caroline sighed and shook her head. She'd admit, at least to herself, that she had thought of Klaus quite a bit over the years. He was alive, that much was obvious since she was a part of his bloodline. His location and well-being, however, remained a mystery.

Rebekah rolled her eyes and turned away. "Shame."

"What happened to you after Mystic Falls?" Caroline asked after a long moment. Other than her contact with Tyler, she had been completely disconnected from her old life. "Have you spoken to anyone else?"

Her head turned to Matt but her eyes drifted to the back corner of the plane. She was shocked to see a young woman she'd never met before. Who was she? The woman's heart beat at a normal human rate, and she looked much too healthy to be food.

"We were supposed to meet Klaus in New Orleans when the power went out. He had to go a roundabout way, because he worried that Mikael may follow him. None of us knew Mikael and Esther's intentions back then." Matt followed Caroline's gaze. "This is Davina. She's a witch and our friend. We helped each other out of the French Quarter."

Davina gave Caroline a small nod before turning her glance out the window.

Matt sighed and looked at his hands. "We haven't seen anyone else since we left Mystic Falls either. I was hoping you knew where Tyler or Bonnie were. Bonnie is the key to stopping this."

"There's a way to stop this?" For the first time in years Caroline felt a glimmer of hope creep inside her.

"The witch who lowered the veil is the only one who can put it up. Unfortunately, it can only be done on a blue-moon lunar eclipse, which is a rare occurrence," Davina said, turning her attention back to her and Matt. "Until the veil is replaced, Qetsiyah will continue to send minions into this realm to seek out all immortal beings."

"I thought it was just Silas?" Caroline questioned.

"It was, but she and Esther reached a mutual agreement where they both get what they want. Qetsiyah is stuck on the other side, because she is the one who created it. When Esther and Mikael found Silas, Qetsiyah gave Esther access to all of her power," Davina explained.

"So Silas is no longer a threat?" Caroline questioned, relieved that she wouldn't have to worry about his mind tricks ever again. Although, from the sound of it, they had a more formidable enemy on their hands than a shape shifter.

"Correct. Now we just need to close the veil when the blue moon occurs in six months, eight days, and nine hours." Davina turned her head back to the window.

Caroline let that information settle in for a moment. She had lots of questions about what was going on, but at the moment it was too daunting to try and wrap her head around. She turned her questions back to Matt, "So, you're a vampire."

Matt smiled and looked at Rebekah. "Bekah and I, we dated for three years before I asked her to turn me. We've been together for the past eighty-four years."

"You look happy."

"I am." Matt reached over and took Rebekah's hand in his, giving it a squeeze. "So what about you? Where is Tyler? Is he okay?"

"Yeah, I haven't spoken to him in a while, but Tyler knows how to take care of himself. Did you ever hear from Elena or Stefan?"

Matt's smile faltered as he looked away. "We assume Elena is dead, and we haven't heard anything about Stefan."

Caroline swallowed the lump forming in her throat. She'd known it was a possibility, but to hear it out loud hurt. "What happened?"

"Kol found her."

"Oh." Caroline looked down at her hands as tears pricked her eyes. Guilt flooded her, she couldn't remember the last conversation she had with her best friend.

"Elijah tried to talk sense into him over the phone before everything happened. He even talked to Klaus, but, from what I understand, when Kol sets his mind to something there is no talking him out of it." Matt looked down at his hands.

"So Klaus, Kol, and Elena were together?" Caroline asked trying to wrap her head around it.

"They were, but that was a long time ago."

Caroline sucked in a deep breath trying to keep her emotions in check. "So where are we heading?"

"Berlin. We're following up with a contact of Katherine's. Hopefully, they can lead us to Klaus, Kol, or Bonnie," Matt replied.

XXXXX

_Virginia Beach, Virginia 2011_

_ Caroline sat numbly as they drove down the highway. The trees and beach passed by. People laughed and enjoyed the fresh ocean air. She couldn't feel anything. A hollowness ate at her. Everything hurt. She kept waiting to wake up, to find out it had been a horrible nightmare, but she never did. It would be easy to shut off her emotions, but that would be the coward's way out. _

_ She had cried until there were no more tears left to cry. Now, she sat quietly, staring into space. Her mother was gone. The life she knew and loved had been taken away. _

_Tyler had been trying to reach everyone the entire drive, but no one was picking up. What if she never saw them again. She already knew she would never see her mother again._

_ Her bottom lip trembled. The constant lump in her throat burned, but no tears came. The drawing Klaus had given her would be the last picture she would ever have of her and her mother. It was truly perfect. He had captured the moment, both of them having a carefree smile. It was the most precious possession she had._

_ Tyler pulled into a gas station, pulling to a stop next to a pump. He placed a warm hand on her arm. "Hey, I'm going to pump some gas and run into the station, do you want me to get you anything?" _

_Caroline shook her head. The only thing she wanted was to go back in time to save her mom. It wasn't supposed to be like this. They'd become so close this past year. Their mother-daughter bond stronger than ever. Now she would never have it back._

_ Tyler looked over at her worriedly. She could feel his eyes on her, but couldn't bring herself to look back at him. He sighed and got out of the car._

_ Her phone chimed, and she pulled it out hands shaking. One missed call. Cell reception had been sketchy all evening. Heart clenched she opened her phone to see who it was. Klaus. The phone shook violently as she typed in her password to access the voicemail._

_ "Caroline, I hope that you're well, and I trust that you're in capable hands with Tyler. I'm sorry about your mother, if there was anything I could have done…" His voice trailed off. Caroline shuddered at his words, wondering if that was the end of the message. Klaus cleared his throat. "I am meeting Elijah in New Orleans. You and….Tyler are welcome to join me there. You have the address of my home in the French Quarter. I would feel better knowing you're safe. Be careful, Caroline." The phone clicked and then beeped signifying the end of the call. Caroline saved the message and took in a shaky breath in. Tyler might not like it, but deep in her heart she knew that Klaus would keep her safe._

XXXXX

**Barcelona, Spain**

"I hate plane rides." Kol stretched his hands into the air as the plane bounced up and down on top of the runway.

"We'll be catching a plane to Berlin in two days," Elena reminded him.

"We have a lot of ground to cover and not a lot of time to do it." Klaus grabbed his bag and walked to the door.

The plane came to a halt with a screech and Klaus stepped back from the abrupt stop. His hand immediately went to the door and released the latch. He was ready to get off the plane and have time to himself. Kol was his brother, and he loved him, but there was only so much of Kol and Elena he could take. A part of him was bitter and jealous that he didn't have what they had. The constant reminder made him feel even more alone at times.

"Our plane leaves in thirty six hours. We meet back here then." Klaus descended the steps of the plane.

"Are you sure you don't want to stick together?" Kol questioned.

"I'm capable of taking care of myself, Kol. Besides, we know Mikael was in Tallahassee only a few hours ago."

"Out of the three of us, I'm the only one who can't be killed."

"And you never let us forget that. It will be interesting to see what happens to you when the veil goes back up. We'll see how immortal you are then," Klaus smirked darkly. He turned on his heel and walked away. He could hear Kol mutter something under his breath but didn't care to find out what it was.

Klaus walked toward the boardwalk. He would cover the beach and several miles inland while Kol and Elena covered the rest. There wasn't much of Barcelona outside of the safe zone, but thoroughly checking every nook and cranny of the city would take time. People like Bonnie Bennett would be in hiding, not sitting out in the open.

XXXXX

**Somewhere over the Atlantic**

Caroline blinked her eyes open and grimaced, the sun bright in her eyes. She sat up and took in her surroundings. For the first time in years she felt safe and didn't have to look over her shoulder every five seconds.

"That's a nice ring you've got there," Katherine said from across the aisle way.

Caroline looked down at the gold chain and diamond ring that had slipped out from her shirt. She stuffed it back in and looked away. That wasn't something she wanted to talk about, especially with Katherine.

With a huff, Caroline looked around the plane. Davina was sound asleep in the same spot as before. Rebekah was reading a book and she heard Matt and Elijah in the cock pit with the pilot. She was stuck with nowhere to go.

"Do you wear it for love, or to remind of a betrayal?" Katherine continued on.

"It's really not your business," Caroline said, turning her gaze to the ocean outside of the small port window.

"Just trying to make small talk. We still have another three hours in flight."

"There is nothing wrong with silence," Rebekah stated.

Katherine shrugged. "I thought maybe Caroline would want to talk. I know what it's like to be on the run, and completely cut off from everyone."

Rebekah slapped her book down on the seat. "Shame Nik never caught up to you. Then again it was always about the hunt. Instilling that fear, never knowing when he would strike. I can't wait until we find Nik so he can finally finish the job."

"Enough, Rebekah," Elijah said firmly as he and Matt emerged from the cock pit. "I apologize, Caroline, we're not normally this uncivil."

Caroline raised an eyebrow and Katherine snorted.

"So what happens when we get to Berlin?" Caroline asked after a long moment.

"I have a human contact there, he can get in and out of the safe zones," Katherine replied. "His wife was killed in one of the raids a few years ago. She was a witch. He has connections in the military and is fully invested in our cause."

"And you think he knows where Klaus is?" Caroline asked.

"He should have at least an idea of where he _was_. Niklaus is a drifter. He won't stay in one spot for a long period of time. If we have a point to start from I can track him," Elijah said.

XXXXX

**Berlin, Germany**

Elijah rolled his glass of scotch as he sat in the dreary hotel room. A few candles burned, the apple scent barely overpowering the stale smell of blood and sex. To think this used to be one of the finest hotels in the city. Now it was reduced to rubble.

He and Katerina would meet with her contact tomorrow. She had been friends with the family for generations. Hopefully they got a solid lead.

"Couldn't sleep either?" Rebekah padded out of her bedroom and to join him on the couch.

"Are you going to tell me why I saved her?" Elijah turned his gaze to the balcony where Caroline stood.

Rebekah frowned and followed his gaze. "You don't know?"

Elijah raised his eyebrows.

"Nik is infatuated with her. I've never seen him behave that way about anyone before. He genuinely cares for her."

Elijah took a long sip of his drink. How had he not known that? Perhaps he wasn't as involved in his sibling's lives as he thought. "You're sure it's not a game of his?"

"It's not a game, Elijah. He's different with her."

Elijah sighed and studied Caroline. What had this girl done to make his brother care? He'd spent centuries hoping some humanity remained in his brother. Somehow a baby vampire had brought it out of him, and he hadn't realized it. That just showed how far apart they'd drifted. When they found Niklaus he would rectify it.

"You do not care for Caroline?" Elijah observed. Not that he minded, there was no love lost between Rebekah and Katerina, still he wondered why.

Rebekah laughed bitterly and wiped at her eyes. "I spent centuries with Nik. I was there when no one else was, and he gives her the one thing I never had, but always wanted."

Elijah sighed and placed his hand over Rebekah's. In a way he was thankful for this time with her. They had grown close, closer than they'd ever been. "We always take advantage of the ones to whom we're closest. Niklaus is a complicated man, and he loves us in his own way. If he can find compassion in another person we should be thankful for it. I want our brother back. I want us all back."

They had all greatly changed over the centuries. Jaded by what their parents had done to them. Niklaus was hurt the most, by far. It had changed who they were. The only thing Elijah wanted was some form of the human man his brother used to be. Out of all of them, Niklaus had been the kindest, most caring, and loving, until Mikael had taken everything from them. Then he'd turned bitter and anger-driven, always seeking acceptance.

"I know it's petty," Rebekah sniffled. Tears glistened in her eyes. "But she had the perfect life, friends, a loving mother, a good boyfriend, and she was captain of the cheerleading squad. She was a vampire but had everything I've always wanted. To top it off, Nik was infatuated with her, he might even love her. The icing on the cake was when he saved her over me. Everything changed between Nik and me that day. He probably thinks I hate him, I know he hates me."

"It's not petty to want to be loved, Rebekah. Niklaus could never hate you. He may act out of anger and rage, but you're his sister. You said yourself he came to your aid that day in Mystic Falls. Siblings don't always get along, especially in our family. The important thing is that we make amends when we can. You'll see when we're reunited." Elijah assured her.

"Thanks." Rebekah hugged him and got up, walking back to her room.

Elijah gulped down the remainder of his drink, his attention going to the blonde outside. After the conversation with Rebekah, his interest in her was peaked.

XXXXX

Caroline stared out into the dark night. Too bad she never made it to Berlin when the power was on. It would have been fantastic. Now the city was completely dark. The occasional scream and hiss filtered through the air.

"I hope I am not disturbing you." Elijah closed the squeaky glass door behind him.

Caroline turned around and smiled. "No, just admiring the view." She motioned her hand to the endless black sky.

Elijah chuckled. "It was a fantastic city."

"I wish I could have seen it before." Her mind drifted back to the conversation with Klaus at the ball. _Rome, Paris, Tokyo. _He probably would have thrown in Berlin. It was bittersweet to be with his family. To be around anyone again, it stirred emotions inside her that she'd long ago abandoned.

"Rebekah says you and Niklaus are friends."

Caroline looked over at Elijah. She wasn't sure 'friends' was an accurate description, but they were something. "She's right, Klaus and I, well its complicated."

"I'm sure Niklaus will be glad to see you safe. He doesn't have many friends."

Caroline looked into Elijah's eyes. She could see the questions swirling in his brown irises, but didn't think he would ask anything outright. His politeness was his downfall.

"Well, he doesn't exactly make it easy for people."

Elijah smiled. "No."

"Thank you for helping me earlier." Caroline turned back out to the city.

"You seemed to have the situation under control."

"I've learned how to take care of myself."

Elijah's eyes burned into her. His gaze intense, studying her.

"That's a beautiful bracelet you have." His hand went to her wrist and touched the diamonds.

"Thanks."

"It looks exactly like one our family owns."

"Why don't you just ask whatever it is you want to know?" Caroline met his eyes. She didn't mind small talk but would appreciate it if he cut to the chase.

"I can see why he likes you. Did he tell you the story behind the bracelet?"

"No." Caroline frowned confused.

"I believe it was the seventeenth century, we were in London at the time. Probably why it is still in one piece, they don't make things like that anymore. Klaus, Kol, Rebekah, and I were living together for once." Elijah leaned forward on the rail, his eyes reminiscent.

"Rebekah had a lady friend - a princess…Evangeline. Kol pursued her despite Bekah's warnings. After he bedded the princess he grew tired of her and killed her. Rebekah was furious and threatened to dagger Kol herself. Alas it was Niklaus who daggered Kol. We'd had a good thing going in London, it was one of our favorite cities, and, because of Kol, and we had to leave. Bekah had still lost her friend, though. She never made friends and Evangeline was like a sister to her. For two years they had been inseparable."

Elijah held up Caroline's hand, tapping on the bracelet. "This was Evangeline's bracelet. She wore it everywhere. Niklaus got it for Rebekah as a memento, but she would have nothing to do with it. He must have kept it all those years. It is a representation of friendship and love. Both are things my brother views as a weakness."

Caroline swallowed, not exactly sure what to say or how to take what Elijah was saying.

Elijah pushed off the railing and walked toward the sliding door. "It may be perceived as a weakness by Niklaus, but deep down he yearns for it." With that said Elijah slipped back inside.

Caroline watched as he made his way into the room he shared with Katherine. She touched the bracelet gently. With one simple story, Elijah had Caroline more confused about her feelings than she had been in years. How would she feel if she actually saw Klaus again?

XXXXX

**Barcelona, Spain**

Klaus walked through the neighborhood, enjoying the quiet night air. He could hear a few fires crackling inside some of the abandoned homes. Most people hid at night. That was when things went bump in the night. Klaus had nothing to fear, and, thus enjoyed the brisk evening air.

So far, his search for Bonnie had turned up nothing, but he was enjoying the solitude.

He licked his lips. Fresh blood permeated the air. He followed the sweet nectar down an alley, his fangs aching along his gum line, ready to drop down. Unfortunately, there was nothing left for him to eat. With a sigh, Klaus took in the decapitated body, drained completely of its life force.

Vervain-free blood was scarce, and it had been a few days since he'd had a good feed. He had built a tolerance to vervain, but could still only drink so much before he had to stop. It was never enough to truly quench the thirst.

Thankfully, Kol no longer needed to feed. Every once in a while, when food was abundant, he did for the thrill of it, but he was dead, his body no longer needed blood to function. It was good Kol didn't need to feed since there was barely enough for Elena and himself most times. More often than not, they got just enough to sustain themselves.

Just as he was about to turn around, he caught a whiff of copper and booze, more blood. Intrigued, he followed the scent to yet another headless body. A smile spread across his lips as he caught onto a vaguely familiar scent.

He inhaled sharply, relishing in the smell of more fresh blood-he was close. A scream echoed through the air and he raced ahead. Klaus swung around the corner just as the vampire dropped another body to the ground.

"Hello, Ripper."

Klaus smirked as Stefan whipped around The Ripper's eyes wild as they took him in. Slowly the black veins receded, and his bloody face transformed back to normal.

"Klaus," Stefan said, shocked.

"I don't suppose you have any more to go around, do you mate?" Klaus motioned to the body on the ground.

Stefan stepped back from the body like he'd been slapped. A mixture of emotions trailed over his face. "I…I…I'm not sure what happened," he stuttered.

**A/N: I have a new beta big thanks to **Linwe-Amari.

**As always I love to hear your thoughts and predictions. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Barcelona, Spain**

Klaus frowned, his eyes on Stefan. Something was off. Stefan seemed frazzled, like he had no idea what was going on. Klaus watched with interest as horror spread across Stefan's face. He stepped back from the decapitated body, as if he only just realized what he'd done. Stefan's humanity was turned on.

"You seem confused." Klaus took a step toward Stefan.

"I…"

"Thank god," a woman said, rushing up beside them, her long blonde hair whipping in her face.

"Lexi." Stefan gripped her shoulders, anguish and confusion on his face. "It happened again, didn't it?"

"Yeah, luckily it wasn't too hard to find you. The trail of bodies kind of gave you away." Lexi pulled a napkin from her pocket and handed it to Stefan motioning toward his chin.

"What exactly is going on?" Klaus questioned.

"Who are you?" Lexi questioned turning to him.

"This is Klaus." Stefan nodded at Klaus.

"Oh."

Recognition flooded her eyes as they widened. She took a step back, looking between Klaus and Stefan.

Normally this was the part where he smirked, knowing that his reputation created fear in others. Klaus couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to Stefan's condition, if that's what you could call it. He'd never seen anything like this, but couldn't help but think there was something sinister at work.

"Come on, we should get you back." Lexi put her arm around Stefan and they turned to leave.

"Wait, I'm here looking for Bonnie, have you seen her?" Klaus questioned.

Stefan pulled away from Lexi and turned back to Klaus. "She was with Damon, and me have no idea where they are. It's been Lexi, Ric, Jeremy and I for the past eighty-four years. We've looked for them, but had no luck."

Glass shattered in a nearby building followed by hushed voices, blood permeated the air. _Humans are so clumsy sometimes_. Stefan gripped his head, black veins creeping across his face, eyes bleeding red.

"Stefan, don't." Lexi grabbed Stefan's arm, her feet rooted to the ground prepared to stop him, should he make a move.

Stefan tried to pull his hand free, but Lexi had him in a vice grip. She punched him hard in the face, released his arm, then reached up and snapped his neck.

Lexi turned to him with a sigh. "He can't control the blood lust."

"He isn't the Ripper though, is he?" Klaus studied Stefan's lifeless body. Ripper Stefan had no conscience. In fact, he reveled in the death and blood.

"No, his humanity is on, but he loses control, almost like he's possessed. He wakes up and has no recollection of what he has done. It's….I don't even know how to describe it. It started a few months ago. He slips away from us at night; we had him tied up tight tonight, and he still managed to get free. We don't know what to do, and of course there aren't any witches who can or will help."

Klaus knelt down next to Stefan intrigued. He'd never seen or heard of anything like this before.

"I don't suppose there is anything you can do to help?" Lexi asked warily.

"I could compel him, but," Klaus paused. He knelt down and used his pointer and middle finger to wipe some blood off the dead body putting it to his tongue. The vervain burned his tongue and he quickly swallowed. "He's full of vervain. He drained three people full of vervain and didn't seem fazed at all."

Klaus cocked his head. Never in his very long life had he seen anything like this. This screamed of magic. He only knew of one witch who was powerful enough to do this, but what would Esther want with Stefan?

XXXXX

Kol walked hand in hand with Elena down the deserted street. The city was abandoned. They hadn't found one single person, living or dead, since they'd set off on their own.

Katherine's informant had been spot on with the hybrid, but, so far, finding Bonnie was a bust. Hopefully, Nik was having better luck.

Elena broke the silence. "Do you think we'll find Elijah and Rebekah in Berlin?"

Kol shrugged. "It's hard to tell. We found the hybrid, but so far our outing here has been completely wasted. I don't think there is a living soul in the next ten block radius. It's too quiet." The eerie quietness bothered him.

Elena smiled and leaned into him. "It's nice to have some time just the two of us."

Kol smirked. They rarely ever had time, just the two of them. He jumped in front of Elena, grasped her hips, and thrust her back into the brick wall. His lips found hers roughly, drinking her in. Seventy-six years together and he still couldn't get enough of her.

Elena gasped into his mouth, her hands tangling in his hair, pulling him closer as their tongues glided against each other. The kiss was rough, each of them fighting for dominance.

"What the hell do you think you're doing to my sister?"

Kol froze. Elena stiffened, and whipped her head to the side. "Jeremy?"

Someone tugged hard on Kol's jacket with one hand, while the other connected with his cartilage. Kol grumbled as his nose crunched, but quickly shook it off.

"Jeremy Gilbert." Kol smiled as he took in the youngest Gilbert.

"Keep your hands off my sister," Jeremy hissed, hands raised into fists, ready to strike.

Kol threw his head back and laughed.

"Jeremy," Elena whispered, her voice shaking.

Elena's breath hitched, a lump forming in her throat and her body propelled forward, toward Jeremy. "It's really you." She threw her arms around him, wrapping him in a tight hug.

"Elena." Jeremy hugged her back. "Are you okay?"

Jeremy pulled away from her worry on his face. His brown eyes narrowed at Kol.

"It's fine." Elena placed her hand on top of her brothers as she reached out for Kol. She knew it was a lot to take in. Their relationship hadn't happened over night. They had started out with hate, and somehow, over the years, found love. The bond they had now, after everything they'd been through, was unbreakable. Kol was the love of her life.

Kol's warm fingers threaded through her own, prompting her to give him a gentle squeeze.

Jeremy looked at their entwined hands for a long moment before meeting Elena's eyes. "You sick son of a bitch. You compelled her, didn't you?" Jeremy launched himself at Kol.

Elena gasped as Kol pushed her away from the fight. "Stop," she yelled breathlessly. Tears pricked her eyes as she watched them swing at each other. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

Jeremy was fast, but nowhere near as fast as Kol. Kol quickly threw him to the ground, wrenching Jeremy's arm behind his back until a sickening crack filled the air. Jeremy yelled out in pain as he withered, trying in vain to free himself.

"Kol, don't," Elena ran forward as Kol wrapped his hands around Jeremy's neck and twisted violently. Elena shrieked as a crunch echoed through the alley, her heart stopped and tears stung as they trickled down her face. "No," she cried out falling on her knees next to Jeremy's lifeless body.

Kol placed his hand on Elena's shoulder, but she shrugged it away. "Relax, darling, its temporary. He's a ghost, remember?"

Elena nodded and glared at him, anger flooding her. She didn't care if it was temporary or not, this wasn't how she envisioned their reunion. "You didn't have to do that. You had him beaten. You could have let him go."

Kol shrugged and leaned against the wall. "He killed me, I just repaid the favor."

Elena scoffed, annoyed. He could be such an ass sometimes.

"It's been eighty-four years, Kol. How would you feel if I snapped Rebekah or Elijah's neck?" Could he not have given her a moment with her brother?

"Are you kidding? I'd be proud if you did that. It's not easy to one-up an original. Besides, he broke my nose. That bloody hurts. Not to mention, you know how I feel about being accused of compelling you. He did attack me first," Kol defended. His hand squeezed her shoulder again.

"Are you okay?" Elena asked grudgingly, gripping her brother's hand tightly against her. She turned her attention to Kol's bloodied nose and sighed. Elena had learned early on that, while Kol had a dark side, there were certain lines he didn't cross. In fact, he took great offense to being accused of certain things, compulsion being one of them. That wasn't to say he didn't use compulsion, just that there were some things he would never compel a person to do.

"I feel better now. I promise I won't hurt him again, so long as he keeps his hands to himself. I'm sorry I upset you." He knelt beside her and placed a kiss to her temple. "I'm glad we found your brother."

XXXXX

Klaus stood up straight as the steel door creaked open. He could tell without looking that it was Kol who had joined him on the rooftop. Klaus continued to stare at the pinkish-orange horizon as Kol approached. The sun would be up soon, and it would be a new day.

"Tired of the happy reunions?" Klaus asked as Kol stopped next to him.

"I thought I'd give them a moment alone." Kol leaned forward on the ledge and looked out over the city. "I think it's safe to say the witch isn't here."

"The city is picked over. It was probably raided by Mikael recently," Klaus sighed.

"Elena wants to bring them with us."

"Of course she does." Klaus rolled his eyes. He put up with Elena; somehow, over the years, she had become tolerable. Plus she made Kol happy. That didn't mean he wanted the Scooby gang trailing along with them.

Then there was Stefan. Klaus didn't know how he felt about him. At one point he had considered Stefan a brother.

"I don't like it."

Klaus smirked, already detecting the jealousy in the statement. "You don't want to share Elena."

"It's not that."

"Then what is it?"

"It's more people to watch out for. We've had a few close calls over the years. We barely made it out of Bangladesh, ourselves, three years ago."

"Three of them are ghosts and can't die," Klaus pointed out.

"Regardless, Stefan seems messed up."  
Klaus nodded. He would give him that. "Has he woken up yet?"

"I gave Elena and Stefan a moment," Kol grumbled.

"Jealousy doesn't suit you."  
"It's been just us for nearly a century, Nik. What if things change?" Kol kept his focus on the rising sun.

"You know as well as I that change happens. She will resent you if you try to control her."

"My big brother giving me relationship advice." Kol mocked his hand going to his heart.

Klaus shrugged. "Just a thought. I don't want them around either, but family is family. With everything that has happened, we should respect that." If they should run into a situation again, it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing to have three others who couldn't die. "Speaking of family. We may as well leave early. Knowing Elijah, he will arrive in Berlin ahead of schedule."

"I'll let Elena know we're leaving within the hour." Kol turned and walked back to the steel door.

XXXXX

**Berlin, Germany**

"They should have been back by now." Rebekah slammed her hand down on the kitchen counter.

Caroline sighed and looked back to the sliding glass door where sunlight filtered in. Elijah and Katherine were due back an hour ago. She could think of a dozen reasons why they could have been held up, but Rebekah seemed to think it meant more.

Davina sat on the floor, the sun glistening off of her brown hair. Her hands rested on her knees, legs crossed as she meditated. Her eyebrow quirked up, but that was the only indication she had been disrupted by Rebekah's outburst.

"Bekah, I'm sure it's fine." Matt put his arm around the blonde original.

"Elijah is never late. When has he ever been late?" Rebekah insisted.

"Davina is looking into it, but you need to calm down so she can concentrate," Matt soothed as cupped Rebekah's face.

"How is she able to practice magic?" Caroline asked curiously. She's come across a few witches, but none of them practiced because they were all too afraid.

"Davina isn't just any witch," Rebekah sighed. "She can practice some magic without consequences. The further we're from Mystic Falls and Esther, the better. Esther can track witches when they use their power. If they are close enough to her, even kill them."

"You may as well tell her the whole story, Bekah." Matt rubbed Rebekah's shoulders.

"She is a descendant of Silas and his human lover," Rebekah blurted with a roll of her eyes. "That's why we try to stay away from Qetsiyah, who is still on the other side in Mystic Falls, and Esther, who is linked to Qetsiyah's powers."

"I didn't realize Silas had any kids," Caroline said, shocked, her eyes shifting back to Davina.

"Apparently, he did. Davina is powerful; maybe even more so, than your friend Bonnie." Rebekah leaned into Matt and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Together, Davina and Bonnie would be a forced to be reckoned with." Matt ran soothing circles across Rebekah's back.

Davina gasped and her eyes popped open as she stood up quickly. "The army is here. We must leave at once."

"No, we wait for Elijah," Rebekah insisted.

Davina shook her head sadly. "They're on the run. I saw them. They've led some of Mikael's men in the opposite direction. The rest are coming here."

"No," Rebekah shook her head violently, tears glistened in her eyes. "I won't leave my brother."

"There isn't a choice; if we don't go now, we all risk getting caught," Davina's blue eyes widened her eyes flitting to the window. "We must go now."

"Come on, Bekah, Elijah would want us to go." Matt wrapped an arm around Rebekah and pulled her toward the door.

They hurriedly walked to the door. Caroline kept her ears open. So far, she heard nothing. She ran toward the fire escape and led the way down the long flights of stairs.

They entered the lobby and wove around the broken and disheveled furniture. People, supernatural and human, walked the streets, oblivious to the looming threat. Caroline led them onto the street where they continued their brisk walked. Having a human with them significantly altered the speed they could go.

Screams erupted in the warm air, sending a chill down Caroline's spine. The attack was beginning. Their walk became a grueling run, with Davina struggling to keep up. Their pace was too slow, Caroline realized.

"Were not going to make it," Rebekah exhaled as they ran through an abandoned building.

Davina fell to her knees, wheezing. Matt wrapped an arm around her, helping her to her feet. "We have to keep moving," he urged.

"Wait," Davina gripped his arm. "They are right behind us. I can hide us, we must get downstairs. Hurry."

"No, the air strip is only a few more blocks," Rebekah protested.

Davina closed her eyes. After a moment they flew open again as she shook her head. "We won't make it."

Caroline narrowed her eyes. _Can she see the future?_

"There is a closet downstairs. I can shield our essence." Davina pointed to a set of metal stairs.

"Let's go," Rebekah huffed.

XXXXX

"We have a problem," the pilot said over the speakers.

Klaus stood up and walked toward the cockpit, throwing the door open. "What?" He growled.

"Berlin." The pilot nodded toward the cockpit window.

Klaus swallowed as he looked out the window. Smoke billowed high in the air, black puffs filled the sky.

"We land anyway," Kol said from behind him. "It's a day early, but they could be down there."

Klaus nodded. They'd come too far to turn away now. They were down there, he could feel it.

XXXXX

Caroline shuddered as feet pounded on the concrete floor above them. Shouts filled the air, echoing down into the closet. Davina leaned against the door. Her lips moved, but no words came out. A fine sheen of sweat shone on Davina's brow. Caroline couldn't help but wonder how long the witch could keep them hidden.

"Do you think they made it out okay?" Rebekah whispered, looking at Matt.

"Elijah knows what he is doing. We'll meet up with him in a few days at the rendezvous point," Matt assured.

"Have you been separated before?" Caroline wondered. Her hands balled tightly into fists at her side. She hoped the talking would calm her frazzled nerves.

"No, but we have a spot set up, just in case," Rebekah said, looking worriedly at Davina.

"They're moving faster. They were just in Tallahassee and now they're here. It's like they've figured out how to track us. This is the fourth time they've stumbled upon us in the last month." Rebekah slumped against the wall a defeated look on her face. "I just want to stop running."

"We will. We're going to find Bonnie, and make things right." Matt gripped Rebekah's hand tightly. "I love you, Bekah. It's going to be okay."

Rebekah smiled, wiping away a tear gliding down her cheek. "I love you too, Matt."

Caroline turned away, giving them their moment. She was happy for Matt and, while she'd never gotten along with Rebekah, she could see they were happy. Maybe they would get their happily ever after.

Davina began to shake as blood dribbled from her nose onto her chin. Her mouth opened in a silent cry of pain, and her face became exetremely pale.

"Oh god, I can't," Davina exhaled sharply. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Tears pooled in her eyes. "They're coming. I can't keep us hidden anymore."

Caroline's eyes flew to the door, her heart thrummed rapidly in her chest. She swallowed and steeled herself for the ensuing battle. "We need to get out of this closet." They could at least make a run for it.

XXXXX

"I can land here, but we won't be able to stay grounded. We will have to use the short wave radios to communicate with each other. There is a chance we won't get a second chance to land and you will be on your own," the pilot explained.

"Get us on the ground," Klaus ordered. "Two of us will be staying behind to ensure you pick us back up." The bad thing about these humans was they thought they were superior because they had the technology. However, they always did come to see things his way, one way or another.

"Look at all these heat signatures." Kol tapped on the screen he was holding. "This is where they are."

"How are we going to get them out?" Elena questioned, her brown eyes wide with fear.

"You're staying here. We need to make sure the pilot comes back for us. Besides, Kol fights better when he doesn't have distractions." Klaus smirked. He wouldn't say he trusted Elena, but he did know that what Elena and Kol had was real. She would make sure the pilot came back for them.

"Stefan and Elena will stay, we'll come with you." Ric stepped forward.

"Kol and I can handle it," Klaus replied. He didn't trust any of them to fight at his back. Nor did he trust them with the plane. But perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea to have back up after all. The four of them could easily over power Elena and take the plane and her away. They were less than pleased about Elena and Kol's relationship. Ric and Jeremy were by far, the most vocal about it. Stefan was too far gone in la la land, and Lexi didn't seem to care.

"We're ghosts; we can't be killed," Lexi pointed out.

"And why would you help?" Klaus asked suspiciously. What did they have to gain from helping?

"You're the Original Family. The strongest and oldest vampires. You're the best bet at taking down Mikael and Esther. It's not like you haven't killed them before," Ric said.

Klaus smiled. Oh, how he would love to kill them again.

XXXXX

They'd tried every exit only to find them all blocked off. There was nowhere for them to go. The warehouse was completely surrounded and filled with their enemies.

Boots pounded on the metal grates above them. This was it. She swallowed down the lump in her throat as the footsteps beat down the stairs, black boots coming into view. They would either be killed or taken, but damn it if she wasn't going down without a fight.

"Seriously?" Caroline exclaimed as Kim came into view. Couldn't she just die already?

"You may as well surrender now. You won't beat me this time." Kim motioned to the abundance of soldiers, hybrids, and hunters surrounding them.

Caroline exhaled, her eyes flitting around the room. They were grossly outnumbered, but she would never give up. Sweat beaded on her brow and she bit her lip to control the trembling. Her fists balled tightly at her sides, ready for the attack.

"I can get the three of you out," Davina hissed from behind them.

"No." Rebekah shook her head.

"They'll keep coming. You know that. They want me alive," Davina said. Her eyes were rimmed with red and unshed tears glistened in her blue irises. "They've figured out how to track me, it's the only thing that makes sense."

"Be safe." Rebekah pulled her into a tight hug.

"I'll find you again, I promise." Davina gave Rebekah a quick smile, inhaling deeply. "Go." She turned around on her heel as their attackers fell to their knees, clutching their heads.

They hesitated only a moment before the three of them zipped away as fast as they could. Rebekah and Matt clung to each other's hands like a life line and Caroline ran alongside them.

As they exited the warehouse, everyone was on their knees, pain etched onto their faces.

"No," Rebekah cried out as they rounded a corner and found another group of soldiers.

"Keep running," Matt said, pushing Rebekah back. "I'll be right behind you."

Caroline felt her heart drop, her ears roared. "Matt."

"Go," he yelled as he charged toward the group of hunters.

"No," Rebekah screamed, her hand shot out to stop him, but it was too late.

"Come on." Caroline grabbed Rebekah's arm and drug her away.

"No, I'm not leaving without him." Rebekah dug her heels into the ground.

"If we get caught, his sacrifice is for nothing. They'll take him alive to use as leverage against you, we have to keep going," Caroline urged pulling her along.

Caroline breathed a sigh of relief when Rebekah stopped fighting her. They began to run again at a vampire pace. They rounded street corners and raced down alleys, the airstrip only a few more blocks away. Boots clomped behind them, but they couldn't see their pursuers, at least not at the moment.

"They'll really keep him alive?" Rebekah asked breathlessly next to her.

"Yes. If Esther's goal is to end all vampires, then she'll keep him alive to draw you in." Caroline pushed herself harder to keep in stride with Rebekah. The Original was faster than her, even if she seemed to be more winded.

"But she'll hurt him?" Rebekah's voice shook. "I shouldn't have left."

"As long as you're free, they'll keep him alive. She won't hurt him."

"You don't know that," Rebekah accused.

"Yeah, I do."

Rebekah turned a questioning eye to her. Caroline kept her face forward, and bit her lip. She refused to think about Matt, or let her mind wander to the past. It was too painful.

XXXXX

Klaus looked over Kol's shoulder at the handheld heat seeking device. There were two vampires being pursued by what looked like an army. And they were only a few blocks away.

"We should split into groups and go on each side. Head them off in the middle." Kol used his hand to motion.

"A group should go through the building too," Ric said pointing at the map. "You don't know which way they will go."

"Kol, go to the left, you three to the middle, I'll take the right." Klaus didn't give them a chance to respond before he took off. He had to find out who it was.

XXXXX

"They're gaining on us again." Caroline gritted her teeth pushing herself further. Her lungs and legs burned from the exertion, but it wasn't her that had slowed, it was Rebekah. "Keep moving."

"I need to stop." Rebekah fell to her knees gasping for breath. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed.

"No." Caroline tugged her back up. "You need to keep moving. We'll stop when we're safe." She forced even breaths into her screaming lungs. Footsteps clomped in the distance. If they didn't keep moving, they would be captured. "Let's go."

Caroline wrapped an arm around Rebekah and they took off again.

"Someone's coming," Rebekah whispered terror in her voice. "I can hear them up ahead."

Caroline headed up the steps of the abandoned building and tucked Rebekah in the corner of the overhang. "I'm going to check it out, don't move."

Rebekah's arm reached out grabbing her. "You won't leave me, will you?"

Caroline put her hand on top of Rebekah's. The fear was evident in Rebekah's swirling blue eyes. "No, I'll be right back," Caroline assured.

Caroline pushed herself forward, sprinting down the stairs. She peered around the corner. Her heart hammered in her chest, hands slick with sweat. A blur approached, unbelievably fast. She steeled herself, hands balled together.

She couldn't tell who approached, but assumed that they weren't friendly. With a sharp inhale, she launched herself at her attacker, tackling them to the ground.

The man snarled and, with ungodly strength, reversed them in midair, driving her down roughly onto the concrete ground. She landed with a thud. The air whooshed out of her lungs as she withered, trying to free herself. Panic filled her. She was pinned. Fangs bared, she met the golden eyes with her darkened red irises, her fingers digging roughly into his forearms.

The gold flecks receded from his irises the black veins crept back towards his eyes, till ice blue met hers. "Caroline."

Caroline blinked through her hazy panic as recognition bled in. _Oh my god._

"Klaus?" She breathed, heat sweeping over her as his body pressed against hers. His face mere inches from hers. Was it really him?

**A/N: Not quite a hug, but close enough right? **

**Thanks to my beta Linwe-Amari**


	6. Chapter 6

**Berlin, Germany**

Klaus couldn't believe it. Caroline was here. His heart thudded harder. An unknown emotion flooded him. Love, maybe? Relief? He wasn't sure. His Caroline was here, he'd finally found her.

The black veins crept back into her face, recognition evident.

"Klaus?" She frowned up at him. Red flooded her cheeks as she moved slightly under him. The movement stirred him, his body becoming very aware of their current position.

"Suffice it to say, Caroline, you're the only person who has ever," he paused looking down at their precarious position, "attacked me like that and lived." He smirked, quite liking this situation they were in at the moment.

Caroline rolled her eyes, but a small smile fell across her face. "It's nice to see you too, but you're kind of heavy, do you think you could get off me?"

Klaus swallowed, she felt good beneath him, though he didn't imagine it quite like this. He quickly stood up, grabbing her hand and helping her up as he righted himself. Their eyes locked, his breath hitched. She looked even more stunning than he remembered. None of his drawings had done her justice. It had been entirely too long since he'd stared into her cerulean eyes.

He assessed her quickly, making sure she was okay. He'd hit her pretty hard, she had taken him by surprise, and he'd acted on instinct. Thankfully, she appeared unscathed. He took her warm soft hand in his, they needed to move. Footsteps thudded towards them.

"We need to go." He started to run, her hand grasped tightly in his. He wasn't going to lose her now.

"No," Caroline said firmly. She dug her heels into the ground.

"Caroline, we have to-"

"Rebekah," she said tugging him back.

Klaus let her pull him towards the grey building she had appeared from. Rebekah was here, with Caroline? He'd been so caught up in finally finding her, he hadn't thought of anything else.

A figure rounded the corner, and Klaus quickly pulled Caroline behind him. There was only one, but he could hear the stampede coming. Klaus cocked his head, the man sprinting towards them familiar, but he couldn't quite place him.

"Matt?" Rebekah shrieked. His sister flew out of the overhang and approached the newcomer, launching herself into his arms. "I thought they took you," she sobbed, her voice full of panic as she clung to Matt.

"They're right behind me. I barely got away," Matt said pushing Bekah back. "We need to go."

Rebekah kissed him and pulled away. She turned to eye Klaus as if she'd just noticed his presence, shock evident in her shining eyes. "Nik, Nik is it really you?"

Rebekah took a step toward him, her arms jerking slightly. She halted her movements, hesitating. _Had she wanted to hug him?_ They weren't an overly touchy feely family. Or maybe it was just him, regardless; he could see the emotions in her eyes. He was glad to see her too.

"Come on Bekah, we need to go, we have a plane," Klaus explained. He would like a happy reunion, but this wasn't that moment.

Rebekah nodded wiping away tears. Caroline's hand twitched in Klaus', like she was trying to pull away. He gripped her hand fingers still entwined tightly together. After all this time , he didn't want to lose her now. He hoped Caroline was as glad to see him as he was to see her. There was only one person missing, Elijah.

He pulled out his shortwave radio. "Kol, I found Bekah and Caroline. We're heading back to the plane."

"Two bird's one stone, how nice. Where is Elijah?" Kol replied.

Klaus turned to look expectantly at the three blonde vampires..

"I don't know," Rebekah replied her voice trembling. "He went to meet with one of Katherine's contacts, they didn't come back."

"He went to meet with the contact," Klaus answered Kol. He assumed it was the same contact that Elena had met with. That was clear on the other side of town.

"That's miles from here," Kol grumbled. "What're we doing, Nik? Are we staying to search for him?"

"Do you see anything else on your monitor?" Klaus asked as they began to sprint back down the alley.

"No," Kol huffed into the speaker, making it crackle.

"We must leave directly," Klaus exhaled. He didn't want to leave Elijah, but they couldn't stay here. They were all at risk of capture if they didn't leave immediately.

"I'll tell Elena to have them land," Kol replied.

"We're on our way. Coming up the other side of the building now," Ric's voice shouted through the device.

"Elena's alive?" Caroline asked surprised.

Elena's voice crackled over the radio before he could answer. "We're trying to land now, but you better hurry. They're right on top of you guys. We can't stay down long and they have helicopters in the sky."

They rounded the corner the same time Alaric, Lexi, and Jeremy did, Kol seconds behind them.

"Matt, Caroline, it's good to see you again," Jeremy said smiling as they all fell into formation. There, sprint was grueling, feet pounding on the pavement.

Klaus was surprised to see that Caroline kept pace with him and Kol. The others were close behind, but not as fast. Especially Jeremy Gilbert, but he was doing a decent job of keeping pace.

"It's good to see you again, Caroline, might I say you look quite lovely too," Kol smirked, his head turning to look at her.

Caroline frowned casting a wary eye on Kol.

"There's the plane," Klaus remarked, pointing as it descended below the skyline. The screech of the brakes filled the air, pushing him faster.

Caroline plowed forward. Their freedom within sight. Klaus' hand still gripped hers tiightly, as if afraid, she would run away. After all these years she felt safe. He made her feel safe. Eighty-four years ago, she would have been loathe to admit that he made her feel protected. Now, she was just tired-tired of never feeling safe, of always looking over her shoulder. If he could give her that, then why deny it?

She'd seen the look of surprise and relief in his eyes, and had felt the overwhelming elation at seeing him again. The feelings terrified her. She didn't want to feel for anyone. It was too painful. In the past eighty-four years, everyone she'd cared for, with the exception of Tyler, had died. Her free hand instinctively went to her necklace. Love (not that she loved Klaus) only brought pain.

"Here is our ride." Kol said, as he led the way around a corner.

Desperation filled Caroline, as the key to her freedom came into site. The door to the private plane opened and the airstairs descended. Elena stood at the door, her long pin straight brown hair whipping around her face.

Kol and Klaus both motioned for Caroline to go first. Caroline clomped up the stairs and felt warm arms slip around her.

"Caroline, thank god," Elena breathed, squeezing her tighter.

Caroline relaxed and hugged her friend back. "I'm so glad to see you," she whispered, quickly moving out of the way as everyone else hurried aboard.

The moment the door clicked shut the plane began to move. Caroline frowned, at a foot that stuck out from behind one of the seats. She cocked her head. Vaguely aware of the reunions behind her. She looked over the seats and gasped at the familiar face.

"What happened to Stefan?" She turned back to the group.

Elena sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "He tried to go after the pilots."

"What?" Caroline asked confused.

Elena shrugged. "He was asleep and he woke up and ran toward the cockpit. I tried to talk him down, but he turned on me."

"You alright?" Kol asked wrapping his arm around Elena.

"I'm fine," she assured him her hand resting atop his.

Caroline quirked a brow at them. _What the hell is going?_

Rebekah frowned and curled her lip up. "What the bloody hell is this, please don't tell me you two… are together?"

"I'm not saying anything about the quarter back," Kol commented.

"But," Rebekah shuddered disgust on her face.

"Enough Bekah," Kol growled.

"But how did it happen, I thought you two hated each other?" Caroline said quietly in the same amount of shock as Rebekah.

Her eye caught Klaus' a smirk on his face as he walked down the aisle way toward her.

"You don't want to know," Klaus murmured into her ear.

The plane shook as they started to lift off the ground and they all took a seat. Klaus slipped into the seat next to her and she gave him a small smile. While she was glad to see him, she didn't know what to say. So much had changed since they'd last seen each other. She was not the same person she used to be, nowhere close.

"Circle the city again." Kol yelled into the cockpit as he found his seat with Elena. "We're looking for our brother. He would more than likely be on the northern side."

"How long have you been with Bekah and Elijah?" Klaus asked.

"Just a few days, we ran into each other in Tallahassee."

"During the raid?"

"Yeah," Caroline let out a long breath. "Elijah helped me out when a few of the hybrids had me cornered."

"I wondered what happened to you after what happened in Mystic Falls," Klaus said quietly, his eyes meeting hers.

Caroline shivered from the intensity of his gaze. "I've taken care of myself," Caroline answered honestly, but didn't care to elaborate further. "So you, Kol, and Elena, how did that happen?"

Klaus smirked. "That, sweetheart, is a long story. I'll let Elena fill you in on her and Kol. That is something I do not wish to know about. Kol found me in Mystic Falls during the attack, and was holding Elena captive. The city was in shambles by the time we made it out, and we were headed to meet Elijah and Rebekah, but never made it."

"I'm sorry sir," the pilot said over the speakers, "but if there was anyone else down there, they've already been captured."

"Melbourne, Australia," Rebekah spoke up. "We are supposed to meet in Melbourne if we ever get separated."

"I'll let the pilot know." Kol stood up and walked to the cockpit.

XXXXX

Caroline listened to Stefan speak, her eyes trained out the window. Everyone seemed grotesquely fascinated by his aliment. She, however, knew exactly what it was. Stefan finished his spiel with a long sigh.

She closed her eyes, trying to fight off the onslaught of memories. They came anyway. She took in a shaky breath; the last thing she wanted to do was have a break down here.

"It sounds like magic," Rebekah whispered leaning back in her seat. "But I've never heard of this."

"That's the only explanation we've come up with, but how and why?" Lexi questioned, a comforting hand resting on Stefan's.

"How do we stop it?" Elena asked worriedly.

"Has he had any contact with Esther?" Caroline asked, pulling her eyes from the window.

"No." Stefan shook his head.

"Maybe you just don't remember it," Caroline murmured.

"We haven't seen them," Ric replied. "Why do you ask?"

"It's nothing, just curious," Caroline shrugged, hoping that no one asked more.

"I wouldn't put it past her to be involved in something like this, but why would Esther be interested in Stefan?" Kol asked, his chin resting in his hand, elbow propped up on the arm rest.

"To get information," Rebekah replied. "They've been going after people we associated with. Anyone we were close to, or allies with, became a target."

Caroline nodded. She knew that all too well. The conversation irked her dredging up memories she'd rather forget. Still, they should know what was going on. Stefan's presence could potentially be a danger to them all. Though it was odd that Stefan was being affected by the magic when he was nowhere near Esther.

"Its expression," Caroline said quietly looking back out the window. "I've seen it used before, not quite to this degree, but it's similar. What I saw was always a projected illusion. The witch gets into your head and manipulates your mind until you don't know what is real and a mere figment of your imagination. In one mind sweep they can obtain information they could never get from torturing you. The subject believes what they're seeing and doing is real."

"Surely they would have seen that Stefan didn't know anything, though. This has been going on for a few months now," Lexi frowned.

Caroline shrugged. She'd been a prisoner for eight long months and had given Esther and Mikael nothing. Esther didn't care about quick results. They did anything they could to get information.

She closed her eyes as the memory hit her.

**A little over eight years ago**

_Caroline groaned as she came to. The ground was hard and gritty beneath her. A thin film of dirt or dust, she wasn't sure which, __covered the floor, making her feel gross where it clung to her skin. A cold chill went through her,__ she didn't know if it was day or night, or where she even was. _How long have I been out?

_Her head ached, but she fought against the agonizing pain as she sat up. The vervain in her system made her stomach turn. A tear trickled down her face as she remembered the night before. At least she thought it was last night._

_The moment she'd allowed herself to be happy-to settle down-it w__as all taken away from her. Her eyes drifted to the diamond ring on her finger, __a lump forming tightly in her throat. Her breath shuddered and she closed her eyes. Where was he? Was he alive?_

_They should have been safe. Brazil was one of the few places that hadn't been taken over by the armies yet. Brazil __had flourished when the power went out all those years ago. Instead __focusing on solar power and creating a thriving economy. They filtered boat and air travel carefully. How had the army overcome them, and why now?_

"_Ah, I see you're finally awake," an icy masculine voice boomed._

_Caroline looked around, __noting the iron bars that surrounded her. "What do you want?" She asked, __her voice shaking._

"_Caroline Forbes, I believe you may know the whereabouts of my ungrateful bastard, Niklaus." __The man stepped in front of her cell, cool blue eyes focused intently on her. _

"_What?" Caroline furrowed her brows. Klaus? A cold chill shot down her spine as she realized who stood before her; __Mikael._

"_After everyone fled Mystic Falls, I took the liberty of searching __his residence. Do you know what I found there?"_

_Caroline swallowed; __she could only imagine._

"_These!" Mikael held up a fistful of paper. Her eyes widened at the image on the paper. It was her. Were all those drawings of her? "I also found more at his residence in New Orleans."_

"_Oh," she said meekly._

"_It seems he was really quite obsessed with you, Ms. Forbes." Mikael smiled, __causing her stomach to roll._

"_The feeling wasn't mutual," Caroline whispered. That wasn't entirely true,__ even now; __just thinking about Klaus made her insides quiver._

"_We'll see about that. Bring him." Mikael motioned to someone with his hand._

_Caroline sat up on her knees and licked her dry lips. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest as she heard chains dragging against the dank __dirt-covered__ concrete. A sob caught in her throat as Luiz, her fiancé, came into view._

"_What are you doing?" Caroline croaked out unable to breathe._

_Mikael pulled Luiz to him roughly __slipping a blade from his belt loop as he drew the human near__. Mikael pressed the blade __against Luiz's throat, prompting Caroline to stand up; she walked numbly to the iron rods that locked her in the tiny cell._

"_I want to know where Niklaus is." Mikael looked at her expectantly._

_Caroline shook her head, tears burning in her eyes. "I don't know."_

_Luiz flinched as Mikael slid the blade against his tanned flesh__, while Caroline cried out in alarm. Rivulets of blood dripped __onto his pale blue shirt._

"_Stop! He's a human," Caroline called out._

"_Where is Niklaus?" Mikael insisted._

_Caroline felt her lower lip tremble. She gripped the bars on the cage tightly, the vervain in her system__ still making her weak._

"_Last chance- __I will slit his throat in front of you," Mikael warned a sinister smirk on his face._

"_Please don't," Caroline begged._

_Luiz was a good man. He didn't deserve this. She should have never gotten involved with him. She hadn't meant to. After a close call a few years ago, she had sought out self -defense __training and come across Luiz's dojo. For a human, __he moved quickly and fluidly and __admittedly __had taken her down on many occasions._

_She loved him. Was he her true love or soul mate? __She didn't think so. __But she did love him, and he loved and accepted her for who she was. She was happy. Now her selfishness- __her want for happiness __had put him in danger._

"_Well?"_

"_I don't know, I really don't. Please, please don't hurt him." Caroline whispered._

_Caroline screamed as Mikael thrust Luiz forward into the cell bars. "His blood is on your hands."_

"_No, please, I don't know," Caroline pleaded. She didn't know where Klaus was._

"_Then maybe this will give you a chance to reconsider."_

_Caroline screamed as the blade dug into Luiz's neck and slid across. He gurgled, his brown eyes widen__ing as he fell forward. Warm blood coated Caroline's hands as she tried in vain to stop it__. His heart slowed __until it halted with one final thud._

"_No," Caroline whispered __cradling Luiz as best she could._

"_You should know, Ms. Forbes, it's only going to get worse from here on out," Mikael promised __a dark eerie look in his ice cold blue eyes._

**Present**

Caroline blinked her eyes, praying that no tears fell. She didn't want to think about it or talk about it. Only to forget it ever happened, and to help Stefan. Sadly, watching Luiz die had not been the worst thing to happen to her those eight months.

Klaus watched Caroline as she stared out the window. She seemed different. The light was still there, but it wasn't as bright. The years had changed her. Regardless, she was still Caroline, and someone as strong as her never fully buried themselves. He should know; he was proof of that after all.

"We'll be landing soon," he said quietly.

Caroline flinched and turned to him, her blue eyes wide. She smiled in a quick attempt to hide her surprise. "Where are we?"

"Just stopping for more fuel. We're somewhere outside of Singapore. Do you want to get out for a few minutes?" Klaus asked.

Perhaps some fresh air would help ease whatever seemed to be bothering her. Or maybe some time alone would give them a chance to talk. He didn't feel comfortable being himself around other people. Caroline and Kol, as well as Elena to an extent, were the only people who saw his- he wouldn't call it soft, but less prickly side.

"Sure."

"Have you been to Australia?" Klaus questioned.

"Yes," Caroline sighed. "I spent most my time in the United States and other English-speaking places. I never learned another language, and it was hard to not stick out in other places. The last thing you want to do is look like you don't know where you are or what you're doing."

"How'd you end up in Rio?"

Caroline hesitated looking back out the window. "How'd you know I was in Rio?"

"I had a little chat with Tyler about a week ago." Klaus smirked.

Caroline's twisted back to look at him quickly. "Tyler? Is he-" she inhaled sharply. "You didn't hurt him, did you?"

After all these years, she still worried about him. "Nothing permanent."

Caroline frowned, but nodded. "Portuguese wasn't that hard to learn. It was a free nation and life was good there for a short bit. The idea of a hot shower and vervain free blood is enough to inspire anyone to learn another language."

"I thought you never learned another language?" Klaus teased.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Well, when all the English-speaking countries fell, I took matters into my hands."

The plane jolted and both their hands reached out, grabbing the arm rest. His hand rested on top of her warm, soft flesh, sending a volt of heat straight through him. His heart hammered as he looked into her blue irises. She bit her lip, her eyes flicking down to his lips before Caroline quickly looked away.

The plane bobbed up and down for several seconds as they touched down. After another long moment, the jet came to a screeching halt.

"We'll be here for about thirty minutes," the pilot said over the speakers.

"Come on, Caroline." Klaus got up and stepped out of her way as she got up and they walked to the door.

Kol and Elena were ahead of them, eager to get off the plane. Klaus only needed one guess as to what they were doing.

"When we get back on, you and I are going to catch up," Elena said touching Caroline's hand lightly as she and Kol bounded off the plane together. "I have so much to tell you."

"I can see that," Caroline replied, eyeing Kol.

"Come on, darling," Kol smirked as he wrapped an arm around Elena and led her away.

"So they're really happening?" Caroline questioned, turning to him.

Klaus offered her his arm and she took it after a moment's hesitation. He led Caroline away in the opposite direction. "Yes, for a while now."

"She's not compelled." It was a statement not a question.

"We may be a lot of things, but none of us would ever use compulsion to get a woman into bed. Only a man with a very low ego would ever do such a thing. The chase is what makes it worth it."

Caroline snorted and rolled her eyes. "How noble."

"We try."

"So, what about you? Where did you go?"

"We've been all over. As a rule of thumb, we don't stay anywhere more than a week or two. Setting down roots leaves you vulnerable. Mikael and Esther are ruthless, and will stop at nothing. Mikael especially enjoys the chase," Klaus explained. "You get used to running after a while."

"And tired of it," Caroline mumbled.

"I can imagine; after your run-in in Rio you have been on the go."

Caroline nodded and walked away from him going to the railing of the wood fence and looking out over the ocean.

"I hope that you will stay with us, I have," Klaus paused, afraid of opening up to her. "I have missed your company, Caroline."

Klaus walked up beside her watching as she looked out at the crashing waves.

Caroline licked her lips. Her throat felt parched. She would love to say yes, to stay with him and Elena. Yet, she was afraid. Terrified to lose anyone else. It would be nice to be around friends again-to not be so alone.

"You don't have to say anything, now I just wanted to offer it to you," Klaus said after a long moment.

Screams filled the air, causing Caroline to jump, startled. A group of teenagers appeared from under the pier laughing and screeching. He took a moment to watch her. Her eyes darted around nervously. Aware of every movement.

"No one is here. It's just some kids having fun," Klaus assured her.

Caroline smiled and let out a long breath. "I know. So, how did you find Tyler?"

He'd rather not talk about Tyler, but at least they were talking. "Elena met with the same contact Katherine went to meet. He's married, you know, she is really sweet. And human."

"She's human?" Caroline asked quietly.

"Humans are weak."

"Not all of them."

"Maybe not," he conceded. "Enough about Tyler, I want to know more about you."

"There isn't much to talk about," Caroline shrugged, leaning further over the rail.

Klaus sighed. He wanted to talk to Caroline, but didn't know the best way to go about it. "I was in Singapore during World War II. I left just days before the Japanese landed here."

Caroline looked at him taking in the small smile on his lips. "Really?"

"The world changes so much over the years, sometimes for the better and sometimes the worse."

"How do you get past the bad things?" Caroline turned back to the ocean, her voice a quiet whisper.

"Well, I think you've seen how I got past the bad," Klaus replied. He responded with violence and anger.

"Have you ever turned it off?"

Klaus sucked in a breath. "No, never. Turning it off is weak. I couldn't do it. Feeling alone- that was my punishment to myself."

Caroline squinted at something in the ocean but he didn't see anything of particular interest. She was distant, and didn't seem herself.

Something had been bugging him since she'd spoke up about Stefan, perhaps the two were related. "How did you know about Stefan?"

"What do you mean?" She answered, her grip on the rail a little tighter.

"The expression. How did you know about that?"

"I've seen it before."

"Where?"

She turned to look at him, trying to decipher the look in his eyes. "It doesn't matter."

"Why?" He was the one who had secrets, not her.

"It doesn't matter," she repeated as she turned away, walking back towards the air strip.

"Caroline, where are you going?" He hadn't meant to upset her.

"Back to the plane," Caroline rolled her eyes.

He fell in step beside her. She was upset. "Caroline, talk to me."

Caroline stopped and looked at the ground. "I didn't escape Rio, okay?" she snapped. He could see the tears swimming in her eyes a moment before she turned and sped away. He stood there for a moment, dumbfounded before zipping after her.

**A/N: Thanks to my beta Linwe-Amari.**

**Thank you so much for reading, following, and reviewing. **

**Reminder:**** I can't respond to anon's on here. Feel free to ask me on tumblr though, I'm under the same user name. For the anon who asked about Bonnie, all will be explained when she is introduced in upcoming chapters. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Somewhere over the Indian Ocean**

**2095**

Klaus sat brooding in his seat. After his earlier conversation with Caroline, she had quickly retreated to the plane, and locking herself in the bathroom until they took off. She'd then taken a seat in the back near Stefan. He could hear them conversing, reminiscing about old times in Mystic Falls.

_What had happened to her?_ She didn't make it out of Rio. The way he understood it, she had been captured. He hoped that wasn't the case, but it explained her distance, her nervousness. _How did she get away?_

There were so many questions he wanted to ask her, but he knew what it felt like to have a history you didn't want to share. His only hope was that she would open up to him.

"You're staring," Rebekah hissed from across the aisle.

Klaus turned his gaze to Bekah. Despite everything, she looked relaxed, her hand entwined with Matt's atop the armrest, a small smile spreading across her face.

"It's rude," she added, turning her nose up at him.

"Don't think I haven't noticed the way you've been eyeing Elena," Klaus retaliated with a smirk.

Rebekah scoffed, glancing at the cockpit where Kol and Elena were. "Please tell me this is a joke. They aren't actually together, are they?"

Klaus answered with a wide grin at the horror painted across her face.

"Great! As if Katherine isn't bad enough. Now I have to put up with her too. You _do_ still intend to kill Katherine, don't you?" Rebekah asked expectantly.

"Bekah," Matt whispered. "Elijah loves Katherine."

"She's a bitch and I don't like her."

"How very selfish of you little sister." Klaus rolled his eyes playfully.

He hadn't thought about Katerina in a long time. Sure, he was still enraged; she had betrayed him, made him suffer another five centuries to break his curse. He had yet to determine her fate. Perhaps he'd wait until after they stopped Mikael and Esther. He needed Elijah on his side.

"Of course it's all fun and games for you, Nik. You didn't have to put up with her," Rebekah replied crossly.

"Oh, sweetheart, you have no idea what I've had to put up with." Klaus turned his attention back to Caroline. Her blue eyes caught his, holding his gaze for a moment before shifting back to Stefan.

Rebekah sighed loudly. "You should give her space, Nik- don't smother her," she said softly, her tone changing from malice to concerned in mere seconds.

"You almost sound like you care," Klaus said, giving Rebekah his full attention.

Rebekah looked to Matt, then back to her brother. "She could have left me, she didn't," she whispered.

Klaus smiled slightly, Caroline was still putting others above herself. She may have been to hell and back, but it only made her was admirable.

The cockpit door opened and Kol and Elena emerged making their way down the aisle.

"I see the lovely Caroline is avoiding you now, Nik. What did you do?" Kol asked. He leaned into the chair in front of Klaus, eyeing him expectantly.

"Stop, Kol," Elena sighed, as she wrapped her arm around Kol's forearm standing in the aisleway.

"I've been thinking about something," the brunette went on.

"You? _Thinking_? You don't say," Rebekah huffed.

Elena gave Rebekah a peeved glare, but continued, "It's been bothering me since we left Berlin. Katherine's contact had information on Tyler and other supernatural beings, what if Mikael and Esther's army took Katherine and Elijah, or found their informant?"

"Well, I suppose the little pup would be in danger, darling," Kol responded with a roll of his eyes.

"We should warn him," Elena chided, nudging Kol in the ribs with her elbow.

Klaus saw Caroline tense, her eyes drifting toward them.

"What's wrong?" Caroline spoke up from the back of the plane.

"It seems your hybrid-lover, might be in a bit of a pickle," Kol said playfully.

Klaus watched Caroline's eyes widen, frown lines marring her forehead. "Are you sure?" She asked, attention focused on Elena.

"I don't know, but the contact led us to Tyler, I can only assume he could unintentionally lead the supernatural army as well. For that matter, they could find and eliminate other witches, vampires, and werewolves that may be of interest to us. What if he had new information on Bonnie? The last thing we need is for Esther to find Bonnie. Not to mention, Tyler is my friend too." Elena explained.

"I might be able to contact Tyler. Is there still internet access in Melbourne?" Caroline questioned.

"We were there a few months ago, there was limited access," Lexi spoke up from the back of the plane.

"Good," Caroline sighed, her face relaxing.

**XXXXX**

Elena walked down the corridor of the house they were staying in, and knocked hesitantly on the bedroom door, Caroline had retired a while ago, but Elena was certain the blonde was still awake.

The door popped open with a click and Caroline peered out at Elena.

"I thought we could have some girl talk, if you wanted?" Elena offered, holding up a large bag of Skittles and two bottles of Coke.

Caroline smiled and pulled the door open all the way.

"Did you get in contact with Tyler?" Elena questioned as they walked to the bed.

They both plopped onto the bed as Elena tore open the bag of candy

"I sent a message; it was how we used to communicate, back before..."Caroline trailed off looking away. "I haven't tried to contact him in a long time."

"We saw him about a week ago, and he was fine. I'm sure it's going to be okay." Elena placed her hand on Caroline's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"I hope so." Caroline opened her soda and took a long gulp. "So, Klaus and Kol, how exactly did that happen?"

Elena laughed. "I don't even know where to begin."

"Start with Klaus," Caroline said quietly.

Elena eyed Caroline suspiciously, wondering what exactly was between the two of them, but she didn't want to question it yet.

"I'm not sure how I would classify our relationship. I trust him, and over the years we've come to an understanding. I can relate to him. In the beginning the three of us stuck together, because being by yourself is worse than staying together."

_October 30th 2013_

_Elena stepped back from the bed, her hands shook violently, heart leapt into her throat. _What had she done?_ She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and looked down at Kol._

_The stake protruded from his chest. He lay lifelessly- dead-on the bed. It was temporary, but he would be pissed when he woke up. _

_The argument had started like every other. He'd been angry over something and started throwing furniture around. When his attention had turned to her, she panicked. Kol hadn't laid a hand on her for a long time but the familiar terror had consumed her. She'd acted on instinct-everything else had happened in a blur. He'd stalked toward her and she'd grabbed a broken chair leg, thrusting it into him without thinking._

_Elena blew out a long breath, and blinked away tears. She should leave. Flee while she had the chance. Numbly she walked to the dresser and grabbed a few items. Was she really going to do this?_

_The door to the hotel room squeaked open and Elena whirled around to see Klaus. His eyes flitted from her to Kol, then back to her._

_Klaus smirked. "I must say-out of the two of you, I didn't imagine it would be him lying on the bed with a stake through his chest."_

_Elena swallowed, not really sure what to say. They'd been together for a little over two years now and, while she'd been given some freedom, Kol always reminded her she was more a prisoner than a guest. _

Maybe I should have run away after San Francisco. _Elena mused to herself. She'd been by herself for the first time since graduation, and had had the perfect chance to escape. Instead, she'd met up with Kol and Klaus._

"_Don't worry, love, I'm sure he had it coming," Klaus said taking his black wool jacket off and setting it on the back of the only unbroken chair left._

_Elena shivered, cold chills racing down her spine. Klaus was too calm._

"_You're not leaving," Klaus stated surprised as he turned to her eyebrow raised._

_She should leave, escape while she had the chance, but-_

_Klaus interrupted her thoughts with a sly smile, "Let me guess- you have nowhere to go." He took a menacing step towards her, and she stepped back fear coursing through her. "You don't want to be here, but the idea of being alone is even worse. Loneliness, Elena, it makes us do crazy things."_

_Klaus walked toward her, veering to the left at the last second. He plucked the stake from Kol's chest, grabbing a half-empty bottle of vodka as he strolled to the balcony._

_Tears burned Elena's eyes, her bottom lip trembling. There was nowhere for her to go. The world had fallen apart. She had no idea where her loved ones might be. Let alone, how she would survive out there on her own. In the two years she'd been with Klaus and Kol there had been several close calls._

_Despite their differences she felt safe. The thought was laughable really-safe with her kidnappers, with the man who swore he would kill her once he was done torturing her._

I'm developing Stockholm syndrome.

_Elena wiped the tears off her face furiously, cursing her situation._

"_I think he's beginning to like you," Klaus called from the balcony._

"_What?" Elena asked incredulously, her feet slowly carried her to the sliding glass door._

"_Kol. He hasn't killed you yet, so he must fancy you. Either that, or he's afraid of being alone."_

"_Does it ever get better?" Elena sniffled._

_Klaus took a long gulp of the vodka. "No."_

**Present**

Caroline nodded as Elena finished the story. The two Originals and Elena together was a lot to wrap her head around. Still, having spent the past eight years by herself, she could see the allure of staying with just about anyone if it staved off the all consuming loneliness. Living a life of solitude in this world was torture.

"How long were you and Tyler together?" Elena questioned.

"We stayed together a few years after everything happened in Mystic Falls, but graduation day changed everything. I don't know if it was because Klaus chased him away, or my mother's death, or something else, but we were never the same," Caroline explained. "We drifted apart romantically, but our friendship got stronger, if that makes sense. We supported each other, and were together off and on most of the past eighty-four years."

"Why didn't you go to him after Rio?" Elena asked, popping an orange Skittle in her mouth.

Caroline leaned back into the pillows. "A lot happened in Rio; I don't really want to talk about it."

"Oh," Elena said quietly. The hurt was evident on her face, but thankfully the brunette didn't press it. "So have you dated anyone else over the years?"

"Off and on," Caroline said not wanting to go into details.

"Klaus has been really adamant about finding you. I don't know what happened between you two, but he cares about you," Elena said quietly.

"We were-are-friends," Caroline stammered. "I've been by myself for so long, I'm not used to this: talking without having to constantly look over my shoulder."

"I'm sorry, Care," Elena said pulling her in for a hug. "You're safe now, I promise."

They sat silently for a long moment, and Caroline relaxed into Elena, enjoying the comfort the contact brought. For the first time in years, she really did feel safe.

Caroline closed her eyes and pulled away, feeling better. "I want to hear about how you and Kol happened, I mean, you two hated each other, you helped kill him, and he tried to kill you, how?" Caroline gushed in one long breath.

Elena laughed; she didn't even know where to begin. There story was long and complicated. "It didn't happen overnight. We did start out as enemies; he was abusive to me in the beginning. In fact, if it weren't for Klaus he very well may have killed me. It's ironic, I know."

Elena closed her eyes trying to think what to say. "I don't like to think about our dark days,they were bad, but I've forgiven him as he has me, and we've moved on. I guess I'll start from where things changed for us, and we started viewing each other-maybe not as equals, but close to it."

_October 31st, 2013_

_It had been close to a day since the staking incident, and little had been said about it. Elena kept waiting for Kol to snap and lash out, but he didn't. It was confusing and nerve wracking._

_He'd simply come to joined them on the patio and drank the remaining vodka with them. Her stomach was tied in knots and her nerves were wound so tight, she thought she would explode. The suspense was killing her._

_"You ready to go, darling?" Kol asked, jostling her from her thoughts._

_A cold chill slivered down her spine as she turned to look at him. "Yes."_

_"Let's go, shall we." Kol offered his arm to her._

_Elena cast a wary glance to his arm before walking past him._

_"Where are we going?" Elena asked._

_"Not sure yet; that's up to Nik. But rumor has it, Mikael and company are here, so we should hurry along."_

_"Great," Elena replied her heart kicking up a notch. As if she needed more to worry about._

_"As I've told you, sweetheart; if you die today, it will be by my hands, no one else's," Kol pulled her roughly to him, his brown eyes locking on her own._

_"Why don't you just do it already?" Elena asked out loud. The words horrified her, but also brought about a sense of release. Maybe she wanted to die. Goodness knew the world was a horrible place. Everything was spiraling out of control-it would be easier._

_"That would be too easy, love." Kol leaned into her, his warm breath on her ear. His hand loomed precariously over her chest. "I want it to be a surprise-when you least expect it and let your guard down. That moment when you start to feel safe-that is when I'll squelch your pathetic existence."_

_Elena swallowed; tears pricked her eyes as he pushed away. Terror consumed her and she balled her fists to keep them from shaking. She hated him, more than she did Klaus. That said something._

_"Our ride is ready. Mikael is here; a scout spotted him a few miles away. We should go now before the raid starts," Klaus said as he flew through the hotel door. He grabbed his wool jacket and threw it on._

_"Come on, darling, our chariot awaits," Kol said, his fingers digging roughly into her arm as he dragged her out of the hotel room._

_Klaus led them outside to a black BMW that was sitting in the parking lot. The hybrid took the front seat and Kol shoved her into the back before hopping in behind her. The car lurched forward as the door clicked shut and they sped off down the road._

_Elena fell back into the seat, some of her terror ebbing away as they passed the city limits._

_"Where are we off to, Nik?" Kol asked leaning forward his chin resting on the headrest of the driver's seat._

_"I was thinking it's time we change continents," Klaus replied._

_"Ah, but which one? Suggestions, Elena?" Kol turned to her his chocolate eyes piercing her eyes._

_Elena shifted in her seat. "Wherever is fine."_

_"So we could go someplace extremely cold or desolate and you would be happy?" Kol smirked at her._

_Elena averted her eyes to the front window. _

_A shriek bubbled up in her throat as Klaus slammed on the brakes. A car rammed them from behind as another car pulled in front of them._

_Metal crunched. A piercing scream filled the air. Elena felt her body propel forward. Pain exploded everywhere as shards of glass and metal sliced through her skin. She hit something hard and rolled uncontrollably, finally coming to a stop._

_Elena gasped, her lungs screaming for air. Her body burned from where she'd rolled across the pavement. She rolled her head. Klaus lay a few feet away, coughing as he pushed to his feet. Cuts marred his face and tore through his clothes, yet he seemed unfazed._

_As he sprinted back to the car, Elena pushed her beaten body to a sitting position. Her flesh slowly started to knit back together, but that did little to squelch the ache of her internal organs. Those always took a bit longer to heal._

_Her eyes widened in horror as someone appeared in front of her. His hands shot out, gripping the sides of her head, and twisting violently. A sharp twinge of pain sliced down her spine before blackness overtook her._

_**Five hours later**_

_Elena felt refreshed as she dressed. She'd just finished a steaming bath in one of the hot springs. It was a great way to get cleaned up without the luxuries of electricity. Even though vampires didn't get cold, they still experienced shock from stepping into a freezing shower._

_The afternoon's events were still a mystery to her. The only thing she knew for certain was they had been attacked; her neck had been snapped, and she'd awoken several hours later in Idaho with Kol and Klaus, both of whom were vague on the details. One thing was obvious: they had come to her aide-but why?_

_She finished toweling her hair dry and ran her brush through it._

_Leaves crunched, and she whirled around. Kol walked down the path, his eyes instantly finding hers._

"_Now this looks nice," Kol winked as he turned to the hot springs. _

"_What happened earlier?" Elena blurted curiously._

"_Oh, your usual neck snapping, Original ass kicking-nothing much," he shrugged like it was no big deal._

_Kol's hand went to the hem of his shirt, lifting it over his head. Elena swallowed, her eyes drifting across the plains of his chest against her will. He looked good._

_"Like what you see, darling? Stick around, if you like. I plan on enjoying this lovely delicacy too," Kol taunted, his hand undoing his belt buckle._

_Elena licked her lips, shook her head, and darted away. She was curious, but had no idea why. Kol was her enemy. The enemy who had saved her. Maybe she was losing it._

**Present**

"And that was just the beginning," Elena finished with a smile. "We had a long road after that, before we even made it to liking one another. But that was the day that changed everything between us. I asked Kol about that day a few years after we got together. He said that when he saw the army dragging me to the vehicle, it was more than just him wanting to be the one to kill me that drove him to save me. He couldn't stand the thought of anything happening to me. He was the one who rescued me that day."

"And you love him?" Caroline asked.

"I do. He's the love of my life, Care. I'm so happy-I just wish that Jeremy and everyone else could understand that," Elena whispered sadly. It hurt that her brother and Ric weren't very accepting of Kol.

"I can understand why they are weary-"Caroline paused and tucked a blonde curl behind her ear "-but I can see how happy you are."

"Thanks, Care, that means a lot," Elena whispered, pulling her friend in for a hug. "I know he's done bad things-he still does-but he's good to me. Kol keeps me safe, he makes me feel loved. Even with times as bad as they are I feel so blessed to have him. I'm happy," Elena laughed and cried at the same time.

"I'm sure everyone will come around, it's a lot to take in at first, but they'll see it."

Both girls jumped apart when they heard a creak at the door. Elena spun around to see Jeremy standing there. He had an odd expression his face.

"What's up Jere?" Elena asked, dabbing at her eyes. She wondered if her brother had heard their conversation.

"Uh, nothing, I'll just come back later," Jeremy said, backing away.

**XXXXX**

Caroline padded out into the front room. It was well past three in the morning, but sleep eluded her. She would like to blame it on all the bouncing between time zones, but closing her eyes and letting her body relax was terrifying.

"You're up early-or late," Klaus commented from the couch. He was bent over a piece of paper, his hand moving across it quickly.

"I'm thirsty," she responded, walking to the cooler. "What's your excuse?"

Klaus stopped his drawing and glanced up at her, a small smirk on his face. "I don't sleep much."

"What are you drawing?" Caroline grabbed a blood bag from the cooler, popped the top off, and took a sip.

Klaus licked his lips. "You."

Caroline smiled despite herself; that didn't surprise her. She'd seen the fistful of drawings in Rio. There were a lot of sketches of her. Now that they'd found each other,again, she just hoped that he would still be interested in her broken soul. Klaus had always made her feel wanted, even if the feelings hadn't been reciprocated at the time. Now she wasn't sure what she felt.

At first she'd blamed him for Luiz's death. But then as she'd gazed at the pictures, recalling their conversations from eighty-four years ago, the anger had gone away. Instead she'd felt despair, wondering if he would rescue her, if they'd ever see each other again. At the end of the day there was only one man responsible for Luiz's death; Mikael.

She'd never hated someone before, but she loathed Esther and Mikael with a passion.

Caroline blinked, realizing she'd been reminiscing, and that she was under the hybrids scrutinizing gaze. She cleared her throat. "I was wondering if you could redo a drawing for me? The one of my mother, it's gotten old and has some tears on it. It would mean a lot to me if you could." She stared at that picture almost every night. It helped her fall asleep on the night's sleep actually came.

"You kept it?"

"Of course," Caroline looked up at him, surprised. "Why wouldn't I?"

Klaus shrugged but she saw the crinkle of a genuine smile on his lips. "I can do it for you next."

"Do you need the original?"

"No."

"You can do it from memory?" Caroline asked, his blue eyes shining with amusement as he nodded.

"Thank you," Caroline whispered, relief flooding her.

She sipped from her blood bag, and Klaus returned to his drawing. She watched, fascinated, as his hand gracefully grazed across the paper. "Where did you learn to draw?"

Klaus continued his movements as he replied, "After we turned, I needed an outlet for my…mood swings. I taught myself in the twelfth century. It gives me a sense of control but also provides a profound sense of freedom. It is…relaxing."

"A hundred-and-two years old, and I haven't taught myself anything near that skillful," Caroline smiled.

"There was even less to do back then, than there is now. I've also had quite a few centuries to perfect it."

"At least power is intermittent here," Caroline shrugged, taking a seat on the edge of the couch.

Klaus smiled as he continued to work on his drawing. It was much easier to do when his subject sat next to him.

"And did you get in contact with Tyler?" He asked, an edge creeping into his voice despite his efforts.

"I sent a message, but I won't be able to see if he responded until, power comes back."

"I see."

"He could be an asset to us he's a good fighter, and a hybrid," Caroline murmured.

"And his lovely weak human wife will hinder us all," Klaus said lifting an eyebrow. All of Tyler's assets, did little if he was too concerned over a worthless human.

Caroline pursed her lips. "When we find Bonnie and go up against Esther and Mikael, we are going to need all the help we can get. You don't know what they can do."

"And you do?" Klaus chanced a glance at her. Caroline sighed, holding his gaze for a long moment before looking away. _What happened to her?_

"Yes."

The last time he'd pursued this topic, it hadn't gone well for him. As curious as he was, he didn't want to push either; she would more than likely leave again. That was what he did when he didn't wish to discuss something painful. He already knew she'd dodged the subject with Elena earlier. He hadn't eavesdropped; he simply had the good fortune of being present when she and Elena were deep in conversation earlier that evening.

Klaus groaned and Caroline turned abruptly in her spot at the loud moan that echoed out into the living room from Kol and Elena's room. He watched Caroline with interest as her mouth popped open and her cheeks reddened.

"Suffice it to say, it's been a long and torturous seventy some odd years for me," Klaus smirked.

Caroline turned to him a small smile on her face as she relaxed back into the sofa. "I can hear that."

"It only gets worse," Klaus deadpanned, hesitating momentairly before he decided to take the plunge. "Do you want to go for a walk?"

"Yes," Caroline responded, scrambling up from the couch as another muffled cry of pleasure broke through the wall.

Klaus got up, setting his sketch pad and pencil on the coffee table. He closed his eyes and hoped this walk went better than the last.

**A/N: Thanks to my beta, Linwe-Amari.**

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Your thoughts are always appreciated. Also if there is anything in particular you are interested in seeing, leave it in the reviews please. For those of you who asked for more Kolena I hope you enjoyed this chapter**

**There probably will not be an update next Thursday. My daughters 2****nd**** birthday is next week and we will also be on vacation, but there will be an update the following week. **


	8. Chapter 8

"I think we scared them off," Kol smirked, resting his hands behind his head as he leaned back against the pillows.

Elena frowned and gave Kol a playful shove in the chest. "You know how I feel about being woke up in the middle of the night."

"I know what you say, but we both know you love it when I wake you up this way," Kol murmured as he leaned forward, placing a string of kisses down the column of her neck.

Elena rolled her eyes, smiling. He did have a point.

"Do you think she will give him a chance?" Kol asked as she curled into his smooth, firm chest. The original snaked his arms around his brunette vampire, using a light hand to trace patterns on her bare back. "I did succeed in getting them to go out together, now he just can't screw it up again."

Elena contemplated the idea for a moment. "Romantically, I don't know. As a friend, yes. Once you're in her inner circle of friends you stay there. I don't think it was Klaus who screwed up earlier, Caroline is more…" she trailed off unable to think of a word to use. Klaus was too invested in making it work with Caroline to do anything that may upset her. She was certain that whatever had happened the last time they'd gone for a walk together had something to do with her friend.

"It's been eighty-four years, darling, people change."

"True, but Caroline is a control freak, she wouldn't let herself change," Elena said confidently. "I know she's a little guarded, but deep down I think we're all the same people, there are just layers that we build up to protect ourselves."

"My, Elena, you're showing your wisdom," Kol teased. After a long moment, he sobered, fixing his brown eyes on her. "I think you're wrong, though. I am not the same person I was when I was human."

Elena sighed. Obviously she couldn't argue that; she had no way of knowing what he'd been like. "Maybe not, but I know for a fact that the persona you take on around other people doesn't match the man I'm looking at right now."

"Are you saying I'm mean?" Kol asked in mock horror.

"Yes."

"Good."

"But, I think when we're together, I get to see a side of you that no one else does."

Kol pulled her in tighter, his free hand stroking her layered brown locks. "I save my devilishly charming side just for you, darling."

"I'm aware," she deadpanned, fighting the urge to smile.

"Think we can scare off anyone else?" Kol asked, his face serious, a mischievous spark in his eyes.

Elena shook her head. "Do you think Elijah will come in the next few days?" And Katherine, she thought in her head. Anger still seethed under the surface when she thought about her doppelganger. The bitch had murdered her brother-for her own benefit-and sent the younger doppelganger into a downward spiral.

"Nik, by far, is the one that can get you out of any situation, but Elijah is resourceful too."

Elena agreed-Klaus knew how to get them out of tough situations. He had saved her ass on more than one occasion, for which she was grateful.

"Elijah will show up, I'm sure of it," Elena assured.

"Ah, yes. My brother and you had something of a friendship; he's always had a sweet spot for the doppelgangers. Aside from your looks, the three of you couldn't be more different."

"What was Tatia like?" Elena asked curiously.

"A bitch! She was manipulative. She enjoyed playing Nik and Elijah-made it into a sport. It was disgusting. Even worse, it wasn't just them; there were three other guys involved."

"Ew," Elena said, wrinkling her nose. "You never…" she trailed off, unsure if she wanted to know the answer. Obviously, he'd been with countless women over the centuries. But when she'd been with Damon and Stefan, a part of her always questioned what their real feelings were. Did they really love her, or was it residual feelings leftover for Katherine, the woman they'd fallen in love with a century before. If it hadn't been for their identical doppelganger features, it wouldn't have mattered, but both men had loved Katherine before her, especially Damon.

"Rest assured, Elena, you're the only doppelganger for me."

"So, what were you going to do in New Orleans eighty-four years ago?" Caroline questioned, as she and Klaus walked along the promenade. Her eyes scanned the empty street, on alert for anything suspicious. Even though she felt safe with Klaus, she had developed the tendency to survey her surroundings.

The city was more rundown than the last time she'd been here. The pavement uneven and crumbling, buildings had larger, more defined cracks, and most of the windows were broken, covered by thick plastic in the places where people still resided.

"An old protégé of mine took control of the city and somehow made it so the witches couldn't use their magic. There were a few witches who wanted to revolt and thought that they could blackmail me into helping," Klaus responded with a hint of laughter in his voice.

"Blackmail you how?" Caroline asked curiously.

"They thought they could conspire against me by conjuring Esther to help them. Kol and I think this gave our mother a foothold in the real world. But I suppose since that was the first city to fall-and you either joined them or you died- the joke was really on them. I do suppose their vampire problem was alleviated since their first order of business was to wipe them out," he smirked.

"It didn't bother you that your protégé got killed?" Caroline questioned. She would be devastated if someone she had taken under her wing perished. Then again, this was Klaus, he didn't get attached to people the way she did. Except apparently her, not that she was complaining. It was nice to have someone care.

"He was cocky and had it coming."

"What did you do after that?"

"We drifted, out of all my siblings, Esther and Mikael would rather see my end first-" Klaus paused, licking his lips as they stopped to look at a dolphin mural spray painted on the side of a building. "-Rebekah, she always hated the running. In a way, I suppose it was probably better for her to be with Elijah, it gave Kol and I a chance to..."

Caroline turned from the picture of the dolphins to look at Klaus wondering why he'd stopped talking. "Kol and you-were you guys always close?" She asked after a long moment.

"No, he was my brother, but we were never close until recently. Elijah, Rebekah, and Henrik were the siblings I was closest to. Kol and I, he's set in his ways as I am in mine."

Caroline smiled, "Hmmm, guess I can see why you wouldn't get along then."

Caroline was reminded of the story Elijah told her about Kol a few nights ago. She found herself completely at a loss of how Elena could fall in love with such a man. Even if it had been centuries since the incident in the tale, it still didn't make sense. Then again, there was something with her and Klaus-that didn't make sense either. Klaus had done just as many horrible things, yet she was drawn to him.

"Kol and I's pasts are complicated, but watching someone you care for die before your eyes, and being unable to stop it-it changes your perspective, especially given a second chance to make amends."

Caroline swallowed, nodding. She could sympathize with him, twice she'd watched someone she'd love die before her eyes—powerless to stop it.

"I'm sorry about your mother," Klaus said suddenly.

Caroline started walking again her stomach twisted itself in knots. The conversation was taking a dangerous turn. "It's an image you never get out of your head," she murmured, a cold chill shooting down her spine.

Klaus took long strides to catch up to her. Over a thousand years later and Henrik's screams still haunted him, echoing in his head when he slept. If it wasn't Henrik, then it was Kol's burning body. Some nights he could even catch a whiff of charred flesh.

"Why did you let Tyler come back to Mystic Falls?" Caroline asked hoping to change the subject.

Klaus paused. He would have thought it'd been obvious. "I thought about what you said, Caroline. Tyler was your first love. I knew that you could never move on, until you'd allowed that relationship to play out."

Caroline chuckled, a grin slipping across her face, her blue eyes lighting up. "Thank you, I know how hard that must have been."

Klaus sighed contently, enjoying the carefree look on her face. He would do anything to make sure that light never faded. "You must know by now, Caroline-I would do anything for you."

Her azure eyes blinked, meeting his, she swallowed, the intensity of the gaze, making his heart race. She was extraordinary. Beautiful.

"Well," she averted her eyes. "It's been a long time since I've been around anyone else, it's nice."

Klaus watched her from the corner of his eye as they continued their stroll. "Loneliness is a terrible thing."

"I...kept moving around, I just couldn't shake the feeling that I was being followed."

"Were you? Being followed, that is?"

Caroline stopped in front of another mural. "I wonder who does this?"

Klaus briefly appraised the coral reef spray painting before focusing on the blonde in front of him. "Caroline..." he sighed. If someone had hurt her, he would make sure they suffered unimaginable pain before he ended their miserable existence.

"Probably not," she finally answered, glancing at him for a moment before continuing on down the sidewalk. "After I escaped I was paranoid. I won't go back," she mumbled.

Klaus opened his mouth to probe further when he heard a rustling to his left. Grabbing Caroline's arm, he pulled her into the darkened alley, shielding her with his person. Her blue eyes widened and she gritted her teeth, clenching her fist.

"There's two of them," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Klaus nodded, impressed by her hearing. Paranoia did that to you, but sometimes you even heard things that weren't really there.

"Stay here," he murmured into her ear.

"I can take care of myself," she shot back in a low hiss, eyebrow arched.

With a sigh, he nodded and pushed away peering out into the street. The soft calculated footsteps were getting closer. Whomever it was did not want anyone to know they were coming.

They waited in silence, hidden in the shadows. Even though her heart thundered in her chest, Caroline seemed calm. Her eyes were narrowed, body poised and ready to strike at the opportune moment.

"Elijah?" Klaus questioned as the familiar form moved into view. The elder vampire turned, and Klaus let out a relieved and joyful breath. His brother was safe, and he was here after nearly a century apart.

His brother paused, turning towards him. The doppelganger on his arm swallowing, taking a step back instead of forward. _At least she still has the good sense to be afraid._

"Niklaus," Elijah came forward a relieved look on his face, eyes drifting behind him. "Ms. Forbes. And Rebekah?"

"Is in a home just down the street with her little boy toy," Klaus smirked.

"Davina?" Elijah questioned.

"She was captured," Caroline said, coming to stand next to Klaus.

"Looks like we really need to find Bonnie now," Katherine replied, joining the conversation.

"Kol?"

"Is there as well, it's probably safe to head back now." At least, Klaus hoped.

Elijah gave him a questioning look before motioning, indicating for Klaus to lead the way. "It is good to see you again, Niklaus. We have been looking for you for some time."

"As we have you," Klaus replied. "Kol and I caught up to Caroline, Bekah, and Matt just as Mikael's army was closing in. We were following up on a tip that you would be in Berlin."

"Katerina's informant was dead when we arrived. We narrowly escaped and were unable to make it back to Rebekah and the others. I am relieved they're with you. Our sister is still not much of a fighter. I feared what mother and father may have done had they of captured her," Elijah replied, relief flooding his voice. "Thankfully, we came here before pursuing anything else."

"So there is still no lead on Bonnie?" Caroline questioned, wondering if she would ever see her friend again.

"Unfortunately, no. If there were, Mikael has it now," Elijah stated.

_That was unfortunate_, Klaus thought.

"Elijah," Rebekah squealed as she flew forward, flinging herself into her brothers arms. "I feared the worst."

Caroline watched the reunion, a small smile slipping across her lips. She felt for the blonde Original, it must have been heart wrenching to be separated from her siblings.

"I am glad to see you sister," Elijah replied, hugging her tightly.

"And no warm welcome for your younger brother?" Kol questioned, arms crossed over his chest as he sauntered out of the bedroom. "Then again, Elijah, I suppose I shouldn't expect much from the brother who barely mourned me. In fact, you comforted the woman who planned my demise. I'm hurt."

Caroline frowned, swallowing as the reunion swiftly changed from endearing to intense.

"Come on, Nik, you know how to hold a grudge better than anyone. Perhaps we could dismantle the doppelganger before our brother's eyes, I might feel better then," Kol sneered glancing from Elijah to Katherine.

"Seriously?" Caroline mumbled. What was he thinking? They'd been searching for each other for eighty-four years, and this was how he was acting.

"What's that darling?" Kol fixed his angry brown eyes on her.

"Excuse me, I'll be in my room," Caroline shook her head, confused. She wouldn't even try to understand the dysfunctionaility of the Original family.

Klaus watched as Caroline retreated to her bedroom, closing his eyes at the soft click of the door. He understood Kol's rage. But, at the moment they needed to work together, not against one another.

"Like you really have room to talk, Kol," Rebekah replied snidely.

"I saw everything from the other side, darling brother and sister. You should know I won't soon forget it," Kol sneered at Elijah.

Elijah merely shook his head at the exchange. "What is done, is done. At the moment, we should think of the future."

Kol growled, narrowing his eyes, but Klaus spoke up first, "Were you able to get any useful information in Berlin?"

"No," Elijah said

"Shame. We lost Davina too," Rebekah said quietly, staring at her manicured nails.

"We could always check in with the witches near Rio de Janeiro," Katerina suggested.

"Davina knew our rendezvous spot, we shouldn't stay here for long," Elijah said.

"We'll leave first thing in the morning," Klaus said, eyes drifting to the window. It was still dark out, but the sun would be rising in a few short hours.

"Did you get everything worked out?" Caroline peered out her bedroom door at Klaus. She bit her lip as he paused in the entrance of his room, before turning to her.

"For the moment. We will be leaving at daybreak."

Caroline nodded. "I would have thought Kol would be...different. I mean he and Elena are..." she shuddered trailing off.

"Yes, well Elena has atoned for her sins, in his eyes, that is. In general, we have a hard time letting things go. It's not really in our nature," Klaus smirked.

"But you can when you want to. You let Tyler come back...and Katherine is still alive," Caroline pointed out.

Klaus took a step toward her, causing her heart to skip a beat. She caught her lip between her teeth as his eyes bore into hers.

"I haven't decided Katerina's fate yet."

Caroline rolled her eyes breaking the trance. "It's been what, six centuries, maybe you should let it go. You still broke your curse."

"It's personal, you wouldn't understand."

Caroline nodded. "Actually, I do. Katherine's the woman who smothered me to death and turned me into a vampire. Then used me as a pawn to coarse Damon and Stefan."

"And this is supposed to make me spare her life?" Klaus asked eyebrow quirked, eyes narrowed an unreadable emotion in them.

"The point is, I've let it go. Something's are worth holding onto, others aren't. She makes Elijah happy, he loves her. With everything that's happened, we should hold onto the people closest to us, not push them away. We have eternity to live. Why waste it hating and plotting and hurting people we care about? When we can do other things?"

Klaus was quiet for a long moment, eyes intent on her. "What type of things?"

Caroline's mouth went dry and she wetted her lips trying to control her breathing. Klaus' face inched towards hers, hooded eyes, flicking between her lips and eyes.

"Hey, Nik," Kol yelled out as he rounded the corner. "Oh pardon me," he grinned wickedly. "It appears I may have interrupted something."

**A/N: Thank you everyone who has favorited, read, and reviewed this story. I apologize in the delay in updates. Things have been really crazy in RL. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, I know it's a little shorter, but I wanted to get you guys an update. **

**Big thanks to my beta Linwe-Amari for cleaning up all my punctuation errors.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thank you to all my wonderful readers and reviewers. Your kind words and follows really help to keep me inspired.**

**I want to apologize for the late updates. For those of you who don't know, I am in the process of publishing my first novel. Getting this finalized along with working has taken up a lot of my time. I do want to assure you that this fic will not be abandoned, and I hope to get back to more regular updates soon. Feel free to stalk me on tumblr, same user name, to keep me motivated. **

**Thanks to my beta, Linwe-Amari.**

Walking out into the front room, Elena ran a hand through her shoulder-length layered hair with a sigh. Kol had come into their room about an hour before, ranting about Elijah. She wasn't sure what exactly had happened with Elijah, but the brunette vampire could tell he was still pissed off about it. Elena, herself, had yet to see Elijah or Katherine. For which she was thankful. Just thinking about her doppelganger dredged up old painful memories.

Kol was sound asleep in their bed, having finished his rant. Seeing him so upset and angry only added fuel to her fire. He'd been in a mood, that was for sure, and she was certain some of it had rubbed off on her.

Wanting to clear her mind of that bitch, Katherine, she thought back to the conversation she'd overheard between Klaus and Caroline - that is until Kol had so spitefully interrupted it. Judging from what she'd overheard from the hall - it was getting heated, but in a good way. It occurred to her that Caroline could do for Klaus what she did for Kol. Elena brought out the best in Kol, and she was certain her blonde friend could do the same for Klaus.

Walking to the fridge, she pulled out a blood bag. Elena popped the top off and took a long swig of the chilled liquid.

Elena was in the middle of sucking down some more of her blood when the voice of the devil, herself, fell on her ears. "Wow, I didn't expect to see you here alive," Katherine's voice said as her heels tapped against the floor.

"Funny, I could say the same for you. I'm surprised Klaus didn't rip your heart out the second he saw you," Elena shot back. Anytime Katherine Pierce's name was mentioned between Klaus and Kol, it was usually about how they planned to kill her. Just thinking about the things they said gave her cold chills. Those were two men you did not want to cross.

Katherine shrugged. "I guess that's one thing to say about the doppelgangers, we're a resilient bunch."

"Well, at least we all don't have to stoop to such low levels to survive," Elena murmured. She didn't care how desperate she was; she would never stoop to the levels Katherine did.

"Didn't you help kill Kol?" Katherine asked, grabbing the opened bottle of wine off the end table.

Determined not to let Katherine get to her, Elena sucked down another large gulp of the coppery liquid. Closing her eyes, she relished the prickling sensation of black veins creeping out from her eyes. Popping her eyes open, she turned and threw her trash away.

"I saw that little Gilbert is alive too. Ran into him in the hallway on my way out here. Interesting," Katherine continued.

"What's so interesting about it?" Elena asked, glaring at her doppelganger. Granted, it had been decades, but Katherine had killed her brother. If they did find a way to end Mikael and Esther's reign of terror, Elena would lose the two people she loved most in this world. She would never forgive Katherine for so selfishly taking her brother from her. She could have taken the cure from Silas without killing Jeremy. Instead, she'd chosen to sacrifice him.

"How did you end up here anyway? Last I heard, you were Kol's hostage. To be honest, I'm surprised he's kept you alive this long."

Elena sighed and shook her head. "That's really not your business."

Katherine shrugged, and unapologetic smirk playing across her lips. "Let me guess - you're sleeping with one of them," she chuckled. "Figures that Klaus would screw all three doppelgangers. I've been there, done that. No complaints in that department. Just try not to cross him." She took a long swig of wine, slipping the bottle down she grasped it between two fingers. "Klaus is one man who can hold a grudge."

Elena shuddered, just thinking about Klaus like that. "Like I said, I would never stoop to your level. I've never slept with Klaus."

"Kol, then?" Katherine asked, eyebrows raised.

Elena gnashed her teeth together. "Unlike you, I wouldn't use my body to get my way," she spat.

"Hmmm, I think that might be a yes, though," Katherine smiled. "Always wondered what he would be like in the sack. Only living - well, kind of living - Mikaelson I haven't been with. You do realize he's technically dead, right? And, by dead, I mean that he'll be gone when this is all over. Kind of ironic since you're the one who helped kill him."

Elena's vision clouded as red flared behind her eyes. All the pent up rage she'd been trying to keep under wraps came bubbling up to the surface. Katherine seemed to be in extra bitch mode today too. Letting her emotions overtake her, Elena lunged at Katherine. Striking out, she gripped her doppelgangers neck, shoving her forcefully into the opposing wall.

The wall cracked, plaster fluttering around them.

"Stop!" Elena spat out.

Black spidery veins crept out from Katherine's blood-shot eyes. "Clearly, I struck a nerve." A sinister smile spread across her bright red lips.

Katherine pushed Elena away with the strength of a much older vampire. Elena stumbled, but quickly found her footing. She'd had years of training from both Kol and Klaus. She could easily take Katherine down.

Lunging forward, she grabbed Katherine's thick brown waves and wrenched her head down into her knee. A sickening crunch echoed off the walls as her nose splintered against her leg. Tossing her backwards, Elena watched as Katherine's body smashed through a glass table. The glass shattered, sending a spray of red flecks onto the wood floor.

Glass protruded from Katherine's abdomen. Blood trickled from her nose. Elena glared, satisfaction rolling through her. "Stay away from Kol and Jeremy," she hissed between pointed teeth.

Katherine brushed off some of the small glass pieces, plucking the large shard from her abdomen as she clambered to her feet. Elena squared her shoulders and planted her feet, already expecting the attack before the doppelganger ever moved.

As Katherine dove toward her, Elena ducked out of the way and twirled around, gripping the elder doppelgangers arm and flinging her into the couch. The sofa squeaked against the wood floor, sliding sideways and colliding against the wall.

"What the bloody hell is going on out here?" Rebekah screeched as she stomped into the front room. Her eyes widened as she took in the scene. A slow smirk slipped across her face as her eyes flicked between the doppelgangers. "Please continue. At least this way I'll only have to deal with one of you."

"Bekah," Matt admonished from behind her.

Elena didn't have a chance to respond as Katherine lashed out again. This time, Katherine caught her about the waist and tackled her to the ground.

Caroline shot up in bed, her breath catching in her throat. Throwing the covers aside, she slipped on her sneakers while grabbing her sack of belongings. Glass shattered in the front room, followed by an ear piercing shriek. If they were under attack, she wanted to be ready to flee.

Caroline sprinted to the bedroom door and whipped it open. Her disheveled blonde locks flew in her face as she came to an abrupt halt. Klaus stood in the hall, shirtless, a smirk gracing his face as he saw her. Inadvertently, her eyes traveled the plains of his firm chest. Her fingertips tingled, remembering the way his flesh had felt beneath them all those years ago when she'd attempted to pry a stake from his heart.

"What's going on?" She asked breathlessly, her heart racing wildly in her chest. Her eyes darting down the hallway, leading to the front room.

"Relax," he said quietly, his warm hand gently grazing down her arm. "It's just Elena and Katherine."

"What?" Caroline asked, confused.

"The commotion. A little cat fight," he said grinning.

Caroline frowned, processing the information. "Aren't you going to stop it?"

"Now, why would I do that?" Klaus' smile widened.

"Ugh," Caroline grumbled, trudging down the hall to the front room. Klaus followed directly behind her, not even trying to hide his amusement.

The room was trashed. The coffee table and couch were tossed on their sides while the glass kitchen table shattered into pieces. Kol stood leaning lazily against the wall with a Cheshire cat grin on his face.

"Stop this," Caroline demanded, glaring at Kol.

"Why? Elena's winning."

"Let them get it out of their systems," Alaric suggested, coming up behind her. "Nobody's got stakes or going for the kill," he added, his eyes intent on the fight. "Better now than in the air."

Caroline huffed, annoyed. She couldn't believe they were just standing here, watching the fight like a bunch of high schoolers.

Her eyes shifted back to the fight. Elena seemed to be faring better than Katherine, who had a long gash from eyebrow to jaw line as well as a crimson river gushing from her nose. Blood seeped through her blue scoop neck shirt, a large red stain marring the silky fabric. Elena only had a red mark on her left cheek.

Caroline jumped as the front door slammed shut. Elijah stepped into the room, eyes darting back and forth between the two women. If he were disturbed by what he saw, he didn't show it.

"Enough!" he said, his voice elevated slightly. The two women stopped, both with their hands entwined around each other's limbs. "What is the meaning of this?"

Katherine backed away, smoothing her brown locks behind her ear. Elena brushed past her and went to stand next to Kol, who smugly wrapped his arm around her.

"That was amazing, darling," Kol said, placing a kiss to her hair. "My girl beat yours. Too bad she didn't have the opportunity to break her neck first," he sneered at his brother.

Elijah quirked a brow, his eyes shifting between the two of them. Surprise evident on his usually composed face. It was obvious that he had questions, but was much too polite to ask them. After a long moment, he blinked and turned toward Katherine.

"We should be leaving. I heard over the radio that one of Mikael's planes is approaching one of the runways."

The room quickly sprung to life as everyone rushed out to gather their belongings.

Caroline sighed and walked to the couch, sitting down. She ran a hand through her blonde waves, wondering if there would ever be a day when they weren't constantly on the run? The numbing fear of being recaptured haunted her every move.

"We'll be long gone before Mikael lands," Klaus said, the sofa creaking as he sat down on the other end.

A grey Henley now covered him and a small bag sat at his feet. She wondered how long she'd been sitting here, waiting?

"Where are we going?"

"Rio De Janeiro."

"Oh," she whispered a shudder coursing down her spine, causing goosebumps to erupt over her flesh.

"Apparently, Elijah and Katerina are acquaintances of some witches there. They claim that they're still able to practice some magic."

Caroline swallowed, nodding numbly. She knew the family of witches he was talking about-knew them very well. She'd never heard them mention Katherine before, though.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to," Klaus said leaning towards her.

Caroline looked up at him, surprised. _Where else would I go? Off by myself again?_

"We could go somewhere else for a few days and meet up with them," Klaus offered.

Her breath hitched at his proposition, she could feel his eyes boring into her flesh. There was something dangerous and alluring about going off alone with him. She didn't want to go to Rio. Yet, she knew she had to. She owed it to Luiz's family to explain what had happened to him. It was something she should've done a long time ago. But how did you tell a family that their beloved son had been murdered in cold blood?

"Thank you, but I have to go. There is something I need to do there."

Caroline looked around the private landing strip. The sound of waves crashing against the shore, and mingling with the salty air did little to calm her frazzled nerves. Apprehension pooled in her belly as it simultaneously twisted itself into knots. They were going to Rio De Janeiro. The place held both good and bad memories. More bad than good.

The few years she'd spent there happily, amongst friends and with Luiz, were soured by her eight-month captivity. Thinking about it brought back the putrid stench of the facility they'd held her in. She gagged out of reflex, as if she'd walked into the compound that reeked of decaying bodies and spoiled milk.

"I know, it's god-awful," Rebekah said next to her, scrunching her face up. "I've never liked the smell of fish either."

Caroline nodded, not wanting to reveal what she'd been thinking to the blonde Original. The salty air was a welcome scent compared to other things.

"What is taking so long?" Rebekah huffed impatiently, crossing her arms over her chest.

Caroline shrugged, not really having an answer.

"I'll go check it out," Matt offered, placing a quick kiss to her cheek before darting towards the hanger.

The two women remained silent; the only sound filling the sky was the squawks of the seagulls.

"I never thanked you for the other day," Rebekah said quietly. "You could have left me behind, saved yourself."

"It was nothing, really," Caroline responded.

"The only people who have ever watched out for me are my brothers and Matt. In turn, I watch out for them. What's going on with you and Nik?"

Caroline turned, startled by the sudden change of conversation. "What do you mean?"

"Don't play coy with me, Caroline. Just because nothing's happened between you doesn't mean I don't see it. You aren't the same girl you were eighty-four years ago."

Caroline sighed. "I don't know."

Rebekah nodded. "I can respect that, just don't lead him on. Of all my brothers, Nik was the kindest, most caring of them all. You bring that out in him, Caroline. You're the only person I've seen do that. I want my brother back. The man he was before he became so jaded and hell bent on revenge."

Kol and Elena rounded a corner hand in hand, and Rebekah huffed, annoyed. "Besides, I need one of my brothers to choose a decent girlfriend. Katherine and now Elena - it's a bit much to swallow."

Caroline smiled. "I don't know Kol and Elena seem to compliment each other."

"Maybe, but Katherine, ugh, I can't stand that bitch! You have no idea the torture I've endured from that woman."

Caroline opened her mouth to speak just as Klaus and Elijah emerged from the hangar bay with Matt and Katherine following behind.

"We had better be ready to go," Rebekah mumbled.

"Everything okay?" Caroline asked as she and Rebekah approached the four of them.

"Just took a little extra persuasion on our part. They are fueling up and we'll be on our way," Klaus quipped. He nodded his head to Kol, who had stopped with Elena to speak with Lexi, Ric, and Jeremy.

"Come on, Bekah, we heard over the short wave radio, that Mikael's plane is due to land in the next ten minutes. We want to be off the ground before that happens," Matt said as he wrapped his hand around Rebekah's waist pulling her close.

"So what happened earlier?" Caroline questioned, tearing her gaze away from the small bubble window to look at Elena. Caroline had stared out the window until she was sure they were safely off the ground and no one was going to stop them.

"I don't know." Elena shook her head. "I blamed her for all the bad things that happened to me when I shut off my humanity. I guess I let her get to me."

"I'll never tire of seeing Katerina get her ass kicked," Rebekah smirked, turning in her seat. Her blue eyes flicked between the two of them.

"So do you know anything about these witches we're going to meet?" Elena asked.

Rebekah shook her head, rolling her eyes. "Only that Katerina did something for one of their ancestor's centuries ago and they are indebted to her or something like that. I've seen them do simple spells, but even those drain them."

"I know them," Caroline said, chewing on her lip. "I was a friend of the family when I lived in Rio."

"I didn't realize they associated with vampires, we've never been invited inside their home," Rebekah said stunned.

Caroline just shrugged. She didn't want to go into details.

"So," Rebekah started, eyeing Elena before focusing on Caroline. "Matt and I, and Kol and Elena - have you had any relationships over the years?"

"A few," she answered vaguely.

"Anything serious?" Elena asked.

"Once."

"Is that where the ring came from?" Rebekah asked quietly.

"What ring?" Elena asked.

Caroline's hand instinctively flew to the necklace that was tucked beneath her shirt. "It's..." she stuttered. "...a long story."

She could feel both girls' gazes boring into her, causing her to shift uncomfortably in her seat. There were some things she didn't know if she was ready to talk about. While she could talk about Luiz, she couldn't talk about his death or the eight months after that.

"We're discussing strategy if you three want to join us," Alaric said as he walked down the aisle way toward them.

Caroline shot up, relieved to have a distraction. "Sure, let's go."

Klaus couldn't help but notice how jumpy Caroline was. It was more than just the jostling of the bus they rode in. She'd gotten progressively worse as they'd neared the city. Her eyes darted around, and her leg had started shaking against his. The friction was more of a turn on then anything else. He was just glad to be squeezed in next to her.

He knew she had a past here in Rio, but wanted to know more. He'd overheard a little of the conversation between Elena, Rebekah, and Caroline and she'd been just as evasive with them.

He hadn't been eavesdropping. There was only so much chatter he could block out in a confined space. He was very curious about this ring. Caroline was the type of girl to settle down-to marry. He wondered if she'd been married, if so, what had happened? He certainly hadn't been celibate for the past eighty-four years. But the thought of another man loving her - of her loving another man - made him see red.

"How much further is it?" Lexi asked from the seat in front of them. She was sitting with Stefan and, judging by the erratic movements and growls coming from his general direction, he seemed to be struggling in this environment. No doubt the fresh blood of the other passengers called to him.

Parts of Rio were still relatively unscathed by Mikael's army. They had resisted the army's presence and rules despite the army's persistence. That wasn't to say they were entirely safe here, either. The army did stop in occasionally, and there were those who sought to be in good standing with the army. Mikael and Esther rewarded those who followed them blindly.

"Ten minutes or so," Caroline answered, eyes never drifting from the window.

"You know the witches?" Klaus asked. It made sense; she'd lived here.

Caroline nodded.

"So you're the one," Katherine said, turning in her seat across the aisle. Her brown eyes assessed Caroline, head cocked to the side. Caroline snapped her head around, brow furrowed as she stared at Katherine. "It all makes sense now," Katherine said.

"What are you talking about?" Elijah asked with a sigh. He looked to Klaus.

"Nothing, I'm just going to mind my own business like you asked," Katherine snipped, grasping Elijah's hand in hers.

Caroline sighed, shaking her head as she turned back to the window.

"What has happened with Kol and Elena?" Elijah asked after a long moment.

"Now who isn't minding their own business?" Katherine snapped.

"I think it should be fairly obvious," Klaus stated, focusing on the couple who sat at the very front of the bus, away from everyone else.

"Has he compelled her?"

Klaus glared at his brother. "No, it's a long story. I suggest you not ask our brother that question; it tends to offend him. If you want the details, I suggest you ask him. Kol is always more than happy to share."

Elijah tugged on his suit coat as he looked around the bus in obvious disdain. "I will ask him this evening after we've settled in."

Klaus nodded, focusing his attention back on Caroline. Her lip was tucked between her teeth, eyes staring out the window.

Klaus pondered over Caroline's relationship with the witches. If she knew them, wouldn't she have asked for their help to find Bonnie?

The brakes on the bus screeched as it came to a slow stop. Caroline stood, followed by Katherine and Elijah. Klaus watched as Caroline gripped her bag tightly, lip tucked between her teeth. One way or another, it appeared he was going to get at least some of his questions answered. He just preferred that she did it on her own.

**A/N: This is more of a fillery chapter, but next chapter will have loads of Klaroline and more of Caroline's back story. Another Mystic Falls gang member will be joining them. Any guesses who it will be? Also check out my profile page to vote for either a Beremy or Bamon coupling in this story.**

**Also, for all my Kolena lovers, if you haven't done so, I have a completed story called In the Arms of an Enemy. You can find it on my profile page.**


	10. Chapter 10

Caroline stopped in her tracks, staring at the house before her. Smoke filtered out of the chimney permeating the air with a satchel wood scent, probably from some sort of a spell they were doing. A wave of guilt and nausea rolled through her as the front screen door opened and clanged shut. Isa, Luiz's younger sister narrowed her eyes as she glared at the group. Her expression softened when her gaze landed on Caroline.

"I didn't think we'd see you again," she whispered a sad smile slipping across her face as she ran down the wood steps, arms reaching out to Caroline.

"I should have come sooner," Caroline said, stepping forward to embrace the other woman who she had once considered a sister. The years had been good to Isa. Her dark hair still fell in tight curls around her face and brown eyes full of warmth and love. Isa hadn't changed at all in the eight years since she'd last seen her.

"It's okay. I understand, there was nothing you could've done. It was not your fault." Isa gave her a tight squeeze before pulling away. "We cannot change what is meant to be."

"I'm sorry," Caroline whispered, looking down at the dirt. They didn't blame her for Luiz's death. A weight lifted from her shoulders as tears pierced her eyes. She blinked rapidly in an attempt to keep them at bay. Caroline had loved Luiz, a part of her still did, but it didn't haunt her. She loved him like she loved Tyler, as a friend - a confident. In a way, she realized it had always been that way.

"You are always welcome here, Caroline. But why are they here?" Isa asked nodding toward the entourage of vampires and ghosts behind them.

"The blue moon is in a few months. They have come in search of a witch," Esme, Luiz's grandma said. "I'm afraid, however, I do not have the answers you seek. Finding the Bennett witch is not something I can do. I have tried many times, and have failed. She is either able to block me or has perished."

"Bonnie isn't dead. She wouldn't leave this earth until she made things right," Jeremy spoke up.

Esme shrugged, her expression unreadable. "Caroline, come in. We have much to discuss."

"And what about the rest of us?" Kol asked frowning.

"Your kind are not welcomed into our home," Esme glared. "Katerina, we have the goods you requested in the back barn. Come, Caroline."

Caroline bit her lip, taking a quick glance back at the puzzled faces behind her. Not wanting to face their questions, she walked toward the large wood cabin.

"What goods did you get Katherine?" Elena spat turning to the other doppelganger.

Klaus ignored the two women, his eyes staying intently focused on the cabin Caroline had disappeared in. His curiosity was piqued. How had she gotten in such good graces with the witches? He squinted trying to hear any noise from the cabin but it was silent. He realized they must have the home spelled to keep others from listening.

Katherine's smug comment drew him from his thoughts.

"It never hurts to be prepared."

"So you had him kidnapped," Elena screamed as she stomped towards the barn.

Klaus frowned as he watched Elena storm off, Kol hot on her trail. "Who did you kidnap?"

Katherine smiled. "I'm not sure kidnapped is the right word, but I had someone brought here that could help us."

"Who?" Klaus demanded.

"Tyler Lockwood." Elijah replied quietly. "Katerina and I both agreed that his help and connections to the werewolf community could be beneficial in our final battle against Mikael and Esther."

Klaus rolled his eyes with a sigh. Just when he thought, he'd seen the last of the irritating wolf boy he showed up again.

"I'm so sorry about Luiz," Caroline mumbled as she took a seat on the couch.

"It's not your fault, Caroline," Esme assured her, placing a soothing hand on her knee. "I have the gift of seeing the future. It is both a blessing and a nightmare. With my gift, I see everything even the futures of those closest to me. Since the moment Luiz was born, I knew his fate. That his life would end far before he reached old age. If I attempt to interfere with fate, I will lose my gift. The day the two of you were taken was one of the hardest days of my life. But sometimes we must sacrifice for the cause of the greater good. We may have lost Luiz, but there is always a reason when someone is called into the heavens before their time."

"You knew he would get killed?" Caroline asked a stray tear escaping her eye and cascading down her cheek.

"I did. Just as I know that your journey is nowhere near over, Caroline. I know what magic was used on you, and how your world has changed. Your spirit is still bright, as bright as the day I first met you," Esme said squeezing her knee tightly. "It is not safe for you here, or anywhere."

"What do you mean?" Caroline stiffened. "Am I putting you in danger?"

"Not yet, but if you stay-"

Caroline shot up and zipped to the door.

"Wait!" Esme called.

Caroline turned back to Esme, her own heart racing in her chest. She wouldn't be responsible for any more death. If she was putting people in danger then she would leave - go off on her own again.

"Do you trust him?" Esme asked.

Caroline shook her head confused.

Esme gave her a pointed look. "The Hybrid, do you trust the Original Hybrid?"

"Klaus?" Caroline whispered, wondering what he had to do with this. Oddly enough, she did trust Klaus, but she didn't want him to get hurt either. "Yes," she answered breathlessly.

"He will keep you safe," Esme, said quietly rising from the couch. "It is important that you stay with him. Do you understand?"

Caroline nodded slowly. "What aren't you telling me, Esme?"

"It is not for me to say, you will find out soon enough. Trust me, Child, I don't want anything to happen to you." Esme enveloped her in a tight hug. "Luiz loved you very much. You two made each other happy, but there is so much more out there for you. Promise me you won't lose yourself."

"I won't," Caroline mumbled.

"Come, you must be exhausted. You will be safe here till nightfall," Esme said as she grasped Caroline's hand and gave it a gentle tug.

Caroline let Esme drag her down the hallway to the bedrooms. The wood paneled corridor was just as she'd remembered it, and the homes woodsy-cinnamon smell coupled with the satchel wood, helped to further set her at ease. Slowly, the tension began to leave her body as she felt more and more like she was at home.

"Can I ask a favor?" Caroline asked as they stopped in front of the guest bedroom.

"Of course."

"My friend, someone is using magic against him. Is there anything you can do for him?" Caroline asked biting her lip. Stefan was so despondent, a shell of who he was supposed to be. Even Ripper Stefan had more emotions.

Esme sighed and looked away. "I fear there is not much I can do for him. He is possessed by a very powerful witch."

"Esther," Caroline nodded.

"No," Esme shook her head. "The magic used is very similar to the dark magic used on you, but this is different. Esther learned that type of magic from Qetsiyah, and she learned it from Silas."

"Silas is doing this to Stefan?" Caroline said stunned. "I thought he'd been captured."

"He was. There is a connection between Stefan and Silas, and I'm afraid I can't tell you anymore than that." Esme gripped Caroline's hands. "Think on what I've told you, the answers will come soon enough if you look in the right places. Now, rest. You are safe here for the day, gather your strength. I know you're exhausted, Caroline."

"Tyler, thank god you're okay," Elena exclaimed as she stormed into the barn.

"Elena?" Tyler said, turning around clearly surprised by her outburst. "What are you guys doing here?" He asked narrowing his eyes at Klaus.

"We came to see the witches, you were forced here?" Elena asked looking around the barn. "Where is your wife, Laura?"

"Inside with the witches," Tyler replied.

Klaus rolled his eyes at Elena's antics. He'd never really thought she'd cared much for Tyler, so he was a little surprised that she'd made such a fuss over him being here.

"Is she okay?" Elena questioned.

"It's okay, Elena. I came here on my own free will. I know these guys," Tyler assured Elena.

"About that, how exactly is it that little Miss Sunshine is invited into their home? I'm assuming you knowing them and her being their friend isn't a coincidence?" Kol asked leaning against the woodwork of the barn.

"Yeah, what's up with Caroline?" Elena asked glancing between Kol and Tyler.

"Caroline's here?" Tyler frowned, glancing to Klaus before focusing on Elena.

"Long story, Mate. Yes, she is here inside the house with the witches," Klaus replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

"What did she tell you?" Tyler asked.

"Nothing," Elena said, her shoulders sagging. "Something happened to her Tyler, I know it."

"Look, it's really not my place…"

"Its okay, Tyler. I understand," Elena said frustrated.

"I might know," Katherine said entering the barn followed by Elijah. "I've known this family of witches for a very long time. I know enough to have a good idea of what her connection is."

"And why would we trust you?" Elena sneered.

Katherine shrugged. "You don't have to. But you know you're curious."

"What do you know?" Kol asked.

"Kol," Elena hissed. "I'm not meddling in Caroline's business."

"Fine, I am," he smirked.

"Well, I'm not just going to tell you. I expect us to come to some sort of agreement for information." Katherine smiled, flicking her brown eyes to Klaus. "I know you want to know."

Klaus swallowed, he did want to know. Still, he wanted Caroline to tell him, not the bloody doppelganger. He wasn't going to make any negotiations with her either. Rolling his eyes, he left the barn. He brushed past Stefan on his way out, who was prattling off some nonsense while Lexi and Alaric followed directly behind him. Caroline would talk to him when the time was right. Until then, he would just have to prove to her that he was her friend.

Klaus walked along the property line taking a few minutes to himself. It was refreshing. He'd had plenty of time when it had been him, Kol and Elena. Now there were so many people it was a little overwhelming. A part of him was glad to be reunited with Rebekah and Elijah, while the other part worried that he would somehow lose one of them. Though they'd had their differences, he didn't want anything to happen to them.

A cold chill shot down his spine, Klaus turned, glaring at the elderly witch before him.

"I thought I would find you here," she said quietly looking at the trees.

"Where is Caroline?"

"She is safe. Caroline is our family, we would never hurt her," the witch said, taking a step closer to him. "At the same time, she cannot stay here."

"Why?" Klaus asked narrowing his eyes.

The witch studied him for a long moment. "I have seen your feelings for her, the history the two of you have. It is very…interesting. That is why Esther targeted her. I am not like many witches. I have the gift of sight. Therefore, I will only tell you what you need to know, and what you already know."

Klaus glared at the witch waiting for her to continue. He hated witches and their talks about natures balance.

"The two of you together I can't see a clear cut path. You have the potential to be great together. Create an equal balance. She brings out the light in you, where you show her what she is capable of - challenge her to be better - stronger. However, you also have the power to darken her spirit, not right away, but over time. Let her bring the emotions in you out, Niklaus. The two of you can have a beautiful friendship."

Klaus inhaled as he gritted his teeth together. He would never do anything to harm Caroline's light. That was part of what drew him to her to begin with. Caroline was unlike anyone he'd ever met. She was fierce, kind, and loyal. Attributes that he'd never encountered in anyone before.

He'd fallen in love with her all those years ago and each day for the past eighty-four years had been torture waiting to see her again. The word _friendship _echoed through his head. He wondered if that was all they would ever be. It didn't matter he realized, he would take Caroline in any capacity that she allowed. It wasn't like he ever really had a chance with her anyway.

"At nightfall the two of you need to leave. The rest can stay. When Caroline was taken by your mother, she used dark magic on her. It left a mark on her soul."

Klaus growled his eyes flashing gold as red flared behind them. He would rip Esther's heart out all over again the first chance he got. He'd waited too long to find her. There was no way he would let anything happen to her now.

"Her soul is unchanged and light untarnished, but the mark left behind has made it so that Esther and the hybrids can track her. I am trusting you with this, because I know you will keep her safe. The others must take their own path to unite the werewolves for the coming fight. The two of you have your own journey to complete before the battle."

"And what journey would that be?" Klaus grumbled.

The witch smiled at him. "That is for you to find out."

Klaus exhaled slowly, visions of tearing her heart out flashing before his eyes.

"Keep her safe. She is invaluable to the future," the witch said tilting her head at him as she backed away.

Kol wrapped his arm around Elena as they strolled back to the witch's property. They'd taken some time to explore the area and get the lay of the land.

"It's beautiful here," Elena mused.

"Perhaps when this is over, we'll come back and make a vacation of it," Kol said as he placed kisses to her neck.

"I'd like that," Elena said her hand gripping his shirt tighter.

Kol froze as he felt his brother's presence. "Elijah," he snapped as he turned so both he and Elena was facing his older brother.

"Good evening, Kol, Elena." Elijah nodded at both of them.

"I'm going to go get us situated for the night," Elena said pulling away from Kol.

"I won't be long, Darling," Kol said focusing his attention on Elijah. "What do you want big brother? Come to insult me more? Pay your long overdue respects for my death?"

"There is no use being dramatic, you've spent too much time with Niklaus," Elijah stated.

"Ironic really, the brother I thought hated me was the only one of my siblings who did anything about my demise," Kol sneered leaning into his brother.

"I apologize if I offended you, and I was sorry to hear you'd perished-"

"Save the bullshit Elijah," Kol said shoving at his brother.

"I am sorry, Kol. I see now that you and Elena are very much a real couple and I do apologize for insinuating otherwise. As for your death, Kol, I mourned you in my own way, but I respect that people will do what they must to survive."

"Ahh, I see," Kol rolled his eyes.

"You'll forgive Elena but not me?" Elijah questioned.

"Only because I believe Elena is truly sorry," Kol snarled as he turned on his heel and stormed away. He didn't care what his brother had to say. He was done listening to him.

Caroline breathed in the cool night air as she stood on the front porch. Her breath puffed in a cloud before her face as she sighed. Fall seemed to be coming early. She felt refreshed and rested for the first time in years.

Her eyes followed the familiar form as he approached the cabin. Slowly, she walked down the stairs to meet him.

"Hi," she smiled meeting Klaus' blue eyes.

"Caroline," he replied his gaze watching her.

"Esme said that we were leaving?" She asked stopping a few feet in front of him. Esme had been cryptic about why the two of them needed to go together. Yet, Caroline trusted both Esme and Klaus.

"Yes, are you ready?"

Caroline shivered as she looked up at the sky. The sun was quickly setting already dipping beneath the tree line. She needed to leave before she put everyone in danger. "Yeah. Where are we going?"

Klaus smirked as he held out his arm to her. "I was thinking Paris."

**A/N: I know the chapter is a little shorter than usual. I do believe that updates should be more frequent now. The Bamon and Beremy poll is really close, like within a few votes of each other. Every vote is going to count, poll is still up if you want to place a vote. **

**For those of you who are interested my book Out of the Shadows is now available on Amazon. If you'd like more info on that, you can find the link to my facebook page on my author profile here or you can check out my tumblr.**

**Thanks for reading and following, reviews are inspiration. **


	11. Chapter 11

"What do you mean they're gone?" Rebekah snapped glaring at Kol.

Kol shrugged nonchalantly. Nik had told him what was going on, and while he had not been keen on letting his brother go by himself, he knew that he and the little blonde vampire needed some time alone.

"Caroline's...with Klaus?" Tyler said looking from Kol to Elena and back again.

"Isn't that what I just said," Kol said rolling his eyes annoyed.

"He won't hurt her," Elena said quietly placing her hand on Tyler's shoulder.

"No, he won't hurt her, that's not to say that he won't do something else to her to make her scream," Kol smirked a malicious lilt to his voice.

"Kol," Elena hissed, slapping him on his arm. "Stop!"

"But why didn't he say he was leaving?" Rebekah asked after a long moment.

"Because he was supposed to go off on his own," Kol said with a huff. "Honestly, I'm bored explaining this and answering your incessant questions."

Kol took Elena's hand in his and tugged her toward the door of the loft they had been staying in. Surprisingly, the witches had a completely separate building for when they got special visitors that they did not allow into their home.

Elena waited to speak until they were far enough away from the loft that no one could hear. "Did he say where they were going?"

"No, but I know Nik and I trust the witches."

"You trust the witches?" Elena gaped.

"Well, I respect them and their power," Kol amended. "They know what they are talking about and they want to restore the balance to nature. What is going on with the ghosts - my parents, it isn't natural."

"No, I suppose it isn't," Elena whispered.

"Let's not think about it, Darling." Kol pulled her close and pressed a kiss to her temple. "I have much more ravenous and dirty things I would rather think about." He placed open mouth kisses to her cheek and trailed his way down her neck, causing Elena to melt into him.

"Let's get out of here," she said her voice coming out a low throaty moan.

* * *

It felt like they had been walking forever. However, in reality it had only been a few hours. Caroline enjoyed the peacefulness and the happy chirping of the birds. The woodsy scent of moss and dirt filtered through the air as they continued up the mountain.

She and Klaus had opted to take the long walk to the coast in an effort to avoid the hybrids. They would more than likely be covering all the airports and buses near the city. While she was certain Klaus wouldn't mind a fight, she had no desire to have yet another run in with the hybrids.

Caroline stiffened as they reached the peak of a mountain. The lay of the land horrifyingly familiar to her. A cold chill zipped down her spine as goose bumps erupted across her arms.

"Caroline?"

Caroline jumped, stiffening at the sound of Klaus' voice. Her heart frantically beating in her chest as she fought back the panic creeping across her skin.

"What is it?" Klaus asked watching her.

"I've...I've been here before," she whispered spinning around eyes scanning the dense forest.

"There is no one here," Klaus said quietly but firmly.

"I know," she said shaking her head. "The place...the facility I was held at, it's close to here."

"You didn't know that?" Klaus asked suddenly becoming more alert, his eyes darting around.

"No," Caroline murmured. "I got out and I ran. I never stopped to see where I was. When I made it to the coast I hopped on a boat and left."

"You ran all the way to the coast from here?" Klaus asked his hands coming to rest lightly on her shoulders.

Caroline stared down at the dark green grass as she nodded.

"No one is here. How far away is this facility?" Klaus asked.

Caroline closed her eyes as the memory came flooding back.

_Around 8 years ago_

_Caroline could hear the pounding of footsteps as they clunked down the hall towards her. Her head spun and throat felt dry and parched. Swallowing, she whimpered at the raw pain that sliced through her from the simple act. Slowly, she opened her eyes, forcing them to focus._

_Keys jangled as the metal door squeaked open. After her last session with Esther, the witch had become frustrated and had her thrown in her cell. It had been twelve; maybe thirteen days since someone had come to her cell. It had been hard to keep track of the time in the darkened cage. She'd become so weak, she couldn't even muster the strength to pull the parchment from her jeans pocket. Why Esther had allowed her to keep the drawing was beyond her. Perhaps it was yet another way to taunt her - a reminder of another thing this war had taken from her. The witch would do anything to try and break her down._

_The scent of chilled blood wrapped in plastic called out to her, drawing her from her thoughts. She heard the plop as the blood bag was tossed a few feet from her._

_Her eyes blurred as she tried to focus on the blood bag on the floor. Sliding her hand across the dirty floor, she attempted to reach for the bag. Her fingers were swollen and stiff; her arm seemingly weighed a hundred pounds. _

"_Come on drink up," the man, sneered as he kicked the bag toward her outstretched hand._

_A thought occurred to her as the black boot scuffed across the floor toward her, giving her a small glimmer of hope._

"_Let's go, Bitch. Esther wants you ready so she can work with you this evening," the man snapped as he kicked her with his foot._

_Pain exploded in her temple as white seared across her vision. She yelped in pain, her hand fumbling to try to protect herself. Anger seethed inside her as the man laughed. He underestimated her that would be his last mistake._

_Finding a strength she didn't realize she still possessed she caught his foot as he nudged her again. Yanking him down, she latched onto the closest artery in his thigh. _

_Liquid heat coated her mouth and throat as she lapped up his life force. No sooner had her strength begun to return than the painful burning of vervain scalded her mouth. _

_Screeching, Caroline pulled away wiping her hand across her mouth where blood pooled. The action caused her hand to burn as well. Gasping in pain, she clawed her way toward the blood bag still lying on the floor._

_Desperate to stop the scalding fire trailing from her tongue all the down her throat, she ripped the top off and inhaled the contents in three gulps. Rising to her feet, she darted out of the cell. Fear gripped her, her heart racing as she flew down corridor after corridor searching for a means of escape. _

_Panic filled her as she rounded a corner putting her back near her cell. Forcing herself to keep moving, she lunged toward another hall. Getting caught was not an option. _

_Stairs came into view as she continued her grueling run. Pushing herself faster, she ran up them. A large metal door stood at the top, without a second thought, she threw it open._

_The blinding white of the sun stung her eyes, momentarily blinding her. Refusing to let it stop her, she continued on, thankful she still had her daylight ring. She tripped, stumbling over tree limbs and rocks. The jagged edges slicing painfully into her hands and knees. It didn't stop her. She pushed forward toward her freedom._

_Caroline collapsed at the top of a mountain peak. Her lungs screamed and legs burned unwilling to move another inch. Gasping for breath, she forced even breaths in and out of her lungs. She needed to keep moving. Surveying her surroundings, she forced herself forward. She didn't know where she was, nor did she care at the moment. She was free and she would never be a prisoner again._

Present

"Caroline," Klaus said gripping her hand worriedly. He saw the haunted, distant look in her eyes.

She let out a shaky breath, jumping as her blue eyes me this. "What?"

"Come on, Sweetheart. Let's get out of here."

Caroline nodded letting him pull her along beside him. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked.

She didn't respond. He could hear her uneven breathing and rapid beats of her heart. Her arm was stiff under his hand as her eyes scoured their surroundings.

"I know what it's like to have someone hunt you. To never feel safe, constantly looking over your shoulder. Whenever you're ready to talk, Caroline, I'm here," he offered.

She remained quiet for a long time and he didn't push knowing that there were some demons that even he himself never wished to face. Still, he would like to know what happened.

"I presume you didn't kill Tyler?" Caroline said as they started their way down the other side of the mountain.

"No, though the thought does cross my mind every time I see him."

Caroline scoffed and rolled her eyes. "His wife seems nice."

"She's human there is only two ways that can go, one of them doesn't end well," Klaus replied.

"No, it doesn't. I told her to let him turn her," she said her voice thick with emotion.

"And?"

Caroline shrugged, clearing her throat. "I don't know we left before they could see each other."

"Do you think she'll listen?"

"Do you care?" Caroline questioned looking at him.

"No, just making conversation," Klaus smirked. "I am curious as to why you didn't see Tyler yourself. I thought you two were friends?" Klaus questioned. He'd noticed her distance with Elena. Klaus didn't particularly care for her relationship with Tyler, but it wasn't like Caroline to be distant - to alienate her friends.

"I think I convinced her," Caroline sighed, clearly ignoring his question regarding the other hybrid.

Her hand went to her neck fiddling with her necklace and the ring that was attached to it. The clear cut of the diamond glistening off the bright sun. He'd been around long enough to recognize what kind of a ring that was. The pieces were slowly fitting together and it pained him to know that she'd loved another man - intended to marry another man.

"You were with a human," he stated as nonchalantly as possible.

"Not exactly. He was a warlock."

"Still mortal," he said his voice raising a little as jealousy surged through his veins.

"I know. I was there when he was murdered. He was a good person and didn't deserve what happened to him. It was my fault and I told Tyler's wife that she couldn't be a weakness for him like that. Humans are...weak."

Klaus couldn't help but hear the edge in her voice as she finished - the defeated tone and the way her shoulders sagged was heartbreaking. She was upset and flustered; this was not how he'd wanted things to go.

"Just leave me alone. I don't want to talk about it anymore," Caroline snapped as she stalked ahead down into the trees.

Klaus sighed as he swallowed down the painful lump that had formed in his throat. It seemed no matter how hard he tried he always managed to say the wrong thing to Caroline. No wonder they would never be more than friends, he thought thinking back to the witch's words.

* * *

Caroline walked a few paces ahead of Klaus. Tears burned in her eyes. Anger filled her at her stupid babbling earlier. She'd said too much. Dredged up memories she never wanted to.

Then there was Tyler, she already felt guilty enough not saying anything to him before leaving. She knew he'd desperately tried to contact her after the attack in Rio and she'd ignored him not wanting to put him in danger. Not only did she not want to face him about ignoring him, but how could she possibly explain her going away with Klaus now too?

Tyler was her closest friend but Klaus was a topic she could never discuss with him. Partly because of the past and partly because she wasn't exactly sure what it was she felt for Klaus. There had always been something between them - something intense and raw. Whatever it was, it still terrified her.

"We should head north," Klaus spoke up for the first time since she'd stormed ahead of him.

"Okay," Caroline said.

The silence enveloped them again and Caroline sighed frustrated. She didn't want to spend however long they were going to be together walking on eggshells. They were friends - or something anyway, maybe friends wasn't the right word, she reasoned.

"What is your plan once we get to Paris?" Caroline questioned slowing down enough so Klaus could fall in step beside her.

"I figure we can tour the parts of the city that are accessible to us," Klaus replied.

"Why'd you choose Paris?" Caroline questioned. To her knowledge, Esme hadn't specified they go anywhere in particular.

"Well," Klaus smirked looking at her playfulness dancing in his eyes. "I did offer to take you."

Caroline scoffed rolling her eyes as a smile slid across her face. "I imagine it isn't anything like it used to be."

Klaus sighed. "It's not. But, there is some beauty that never tarnishes despite the years that pass." His gaze met hers holding her eyes.

Caroline swallowed, heat searing her cheeks as she realized the double meaning behind his words. Clearing her throat, she looked away. "So, when were you last in Paris?"

"A few years ago," Klaus said as they resumed their hike. "Though I think I'll enjoy the company much better this time."

"Tired of Kol and Elena?"

"Tired of the nights with Kol and Elena."

"Oh," Caroline flushed.

"It was nice having them around," Klaus admitted.

"So you and Elena, you two are...friends?" Caroline asked skeptically.

"I'm not sure friends is the right word, Sweetheart. We have managed to tolerate each other for years, and she makes Kol happy and keeps him in check. That is something no one has ever done before."

Caroline nodded. "What about you? Have you met anyone?" She regretted the question as soon as she asked. She really didn't want to know the answer to that.

"No one of importance."

Relief flooded her and she relaxed the answer making her happier than it should.

Caroline opened her mouth to respond, when Klaus grabbed her arm and tugged her into the thick brush. She turned to him quizzically; his head was cocked to the side, eyes narrowed. His superior hearing obviously picking up on something she hadn't yet.

"What?" she whispered, her heart hammering in her chest as her hands balled into tight fists.

"Someone's coming," Klaus nodded towards the direction they had just come from.

Caroline closed her eyes, focusing on her surroundings. After a long moment, she heard the quiet pairs of footsteps whispering through the leaves. "There are five of them."

"Hybrids," Klaus agreed with a nod as he made his way back into the open. "Stay here, I'll take care of them."

Caroline scoffed irritated following after him. "This isn't my first run in with them. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"Caroline," Klaus frowned.

"They're attempting to surround us," she said in a whisper meeting his eyes.

Klaus inclined his head forward and visibly seemed to relax as a small smirk spread across his face. Caroline rolled her eyes; of course, he would enjoy this.

Intaking a sharp breath, Caroline steeled herself prepared for the fight. Within seconds, the branches shook sending leaves fluttering to the ground as the five hybrids emerged.

Caroline eyed Kim warily. Of all the hybrids she had run into over the years, Kim was her least favorite.

"I figured you'd lead us to him eventually," Kim sneered as she took in Klaus. "Call Mikael now," she ordered turning to the hybrid next to her.

"You two run into each other often?" Klaus asked with a growl.

"Yeah, I keep killing her, but she won't stay dead," Caroline bit out her hands fisting at her sides.

"Perhaps I should teach her a lesson," Klaus replied a moment before he lunged forward. In a blink, Kim's heart fell to the ground as the hybrid gasped and crumpled to the ground.

The four other hybrids sprung toward them coming to their friend's aide.

Caroline ducked under the arm that swung at her. Grasping the forearm and bicep in her hands, she bent it backwards causing the hybrid to squeal in pain. Releasing his arm, she shot her palm out and connected with his nose. Blood gushed out instantly. Just as she was preparing to plunge her hand into his chest, he gurgled.

Klaus stood behind him, the hybrids heart still thrumming in his hands as the younger hybrid collapsed to the ground kicking up a cloud of dirt in his wake.

"I could have taken him," Caroline replied.

Klaus dropped the heart to the ground, his blue eyes lighting up with mischief. "I thought I would save you the trouble of getting dirty."

He knelt down wiping his bloodied hands through the grass. The action doing little to clean the blood from his hands.

"Thanks, but I can take care of myself."

"I noticed. Where did you learn to fight?" He asked standing back up. His eyes left hers to fixate on the carnage before them.

She ignored the fact that he had taken out all five of them, four while she'd been fighting off the one. It must be nice to be that fast, she thought.

"We should keep moving. They are already starting to heal," Klaus, sighed.

Caroline started off in the direction they were heading before they'd been interrupted. Klaus falling in step beside her.

"Tyler insisted I learn self defense before I went off on my own. We stayed together after we broke up. Even though we didn't work out romantically, we were...are really good friends. Anyway, he started dating this she-wolf, Ava; she wasn't too fond of me. So, I spent six months studying various forms of martial arts and went on my way."

"You must have had a proficient teacher."

"I have this tendency to over excel at everything I do," Caroline said teasingly.

"That doesn't surprise me, Sweetheart."

**A/N: Thank you so much to everyone for reading, reviewing and following. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Reviews are great inspiration. **

**Bamon and Beremy poll is still up and last I checked there was only 1 vote difference. I will be taking the poll down in a few days.**


	12. Chapter 12

_Rio de Janeiro 8 years ago_

"_If she knew something, surely she would have said something by now," Mikael said in a hushed voice._

"_Maybe," Esther conceited. "But she is extremely strong willed."_

_Caroline forced her eyes to stay shut. Maybe she would get lucky and they would leave her alone for the day. She could only hope she'd be so lucky. Her fists balled against her as she ran her finger over the diamond on her ring finger. Luiz had told her the ring would protect her - keep her safe. At this moment, she felt anything but._

_In fact, she had never felt so alone in her entire life. Time seemed to of disappeared. She had no idea if it was day or night – worse, how long she'd been stuck in this cell. . It had to be at least a month, maybe more. Trying to keep from tensing she forced even breaths in and out of her nose so she could listen to the conversation._

"_From what we've learned she could be our best chance at finding Niklaus. Even if she doesn't know where he is, we can find a way to make sure he knows we have her," Esther said._

"_That boy hasn't ever cared about anyone. What makes you think he'll care about her?" Mikael sneered._

"_She sees him as he sees her. They care for each other. Niklaus wasn't always the cold-blooded killer he is today. Of all our children-"_

"_That boy was never mine," Mikael snapped._

_Esther sighed, "He once was a caring and compassionate man. She brings out his humanity. I've seen it."_

"_That abomination has no compassion, he murdered you - ripped your heart from your chest, his own mother."_

"_We are to blame for his volatile and psychotic behavior. It is not just Niklaus who abandoned his moral compass. Even our noble Elijah did and Rebekah. Being vampires changed who they were and that, my love, is our fault," Esther said quietly. _

"_She is awake," Mikael said and Caroline shivered at the glee in his voice. "Shall we question her further today?"_

_Caroline pushed herself into a sitting position glaring at the two Original parents. She met their gaze with determination. Even if she knew where Klaus was she would never tell them. Her heart broke at the hatred she heard in Mikael's voice. She couldn't imagine what it must have been like to grow up with them as parents. Esther was right, the both of them failed their children. Klaus was not an abomination. She just hoped she lived long enough to see him again. _

_Gritting her teeth, she stood up as the metal doors squeaked open._

* * *

Caroline's eyes flew open and she sat up frantically searching her surroundings. The sun billowed in through the curtains and her rapid heartbeat began to slow. Swallowing, she crawled out of the plush bed and padded across the carpet to the window. Drawing the curtains back, she looked out at the city.

Paris wasn't exactly what she expected, but with this war going on, nothing was as it should be. The city was full of life though. Mikael and Esther's reach could only go so far. While they did have the hybrids and other supernatural creatures to help, there simply were not enough of them to control the entire earth.

Nor could they control the humans that enjoyed being fed from and hoped to one day be turned into vampires themselves. This was how the large groups of vampires were able to live so luxuriously.

Klaus had informed her that there were several large groups of vampires that stuck together and ruled certain cities throughout Europe. Mikael and Esther did bear down on them every so often, but their main focus was always their children. After all, why hunt down and kill thousands when you could kill three and end the entire vampire existence. That wasn't to say that they didn't stake vampires they came across - they just weren't the prize.

Speaking of Klaus, she spotted him on the street talking to a young brunette woman. Caroline licked her lips a pang of jealousy spiked through her as he leaned into her, but she couldn't hear what he was saying. She shouldn't be jealous they weren't together and they never would be. She couldn't lose anyone else she cared about again. If she were smart, she would distance herself from him. That was easier said than done. Klaus had a way of drawing her out. He saw her.

Klaus turned as if he sensed her watching him, his mesmerizing blue eyes falling on hers. She bit her lip and stepped away from the curtain. Walking to the closet, she opened the doors and looked at the variety of pants, shirts and dresses.

If she'd had any doubts about Elena and Kol's relationship before, she didn't now. It was clear right down to the pale blue comforter on the bed that Elena made all the decorating decisions. Her clothes occupied more than three quarters of the closet. Off to the right was a small selection of Kol's clothes. Browsing through the clothes, she selected a floral print spaghetti strap dress and some strappy sandals.

Forty-five minutes later, she was showered and dressed and strolled out to the front room. Klaus sat on the couch sketchpad in hand. "I was beginning to wonder if you were going to sleep the day away." Klaus said smirking at her.

Caroline glanced toward the clock and frowned realizing just how late it was. "I can't believe I slept that long. You should have woke me."

"It's probably all this jumping from time zones the past few days. There's fresh blood on the counter," Klaus said indicating a large green mug. "You may want to warm it up."

Caroline nodded as her stomach growled. She was famished. She hadn't properly fed since they'd left Rio two days ago. They had touched down late last night and Klaus had been busy pointing out the sites as they'd traveled to the flat he, Kol and Elena shared when they stayed in Paris. She had been so enthralled by her surroundings food hadn't even crossed her mind.

"Thank you."

"I wasn't sure what your eating habits were. There aren't any hospitals nearby," Klaus explained watching as she stuck the mug in the microwave.

"I swore I'd never feed from humans. But you do what you have to, to survive," Caroline said as she took the mug out of the microwave and let the warm liquid glide down her throat. She closed her eyes as the black veins crept across her face savoring in the taste of her favorite blood type, B positive.

"So do you guys stay here often?" Caroline asked looking around the well-kept apartment.

"A few times a year. We spent most are time traveling. It's safer to keep on the road. However, it's nice to have a place to call home too. We have a villa in Italy. Perhaps in a few days we could go there," Klaus said.

"I'd like that," Caroline said looking away. She knew they had to keep on the move, but if Klaus kept taking her to all the romantic and beautiful cities, he was going to make it hard for her to keep him at a distance. She wouldn't be surprised if that was his motive to begin with.

"I was thinking the Eiffel Tower today. It's a must see."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "I'm ready when you are."

* * *

"Do you like it?" Klaus asked watching Caroline as she gazed out over the city from the top of the tower. The necklace with her ring hung out as she leaned forward over the railing. He wondered why she still wore it - did she still love him?

"It's...beautiful."

Klaus wanted to compliment her - tell her she was more breathtaking, but wasn't sure how it would go over. Caroline wasn't like the women he pursued. His charm and compliments wouldn't do anything for him. He admired that about her and it made him want her more.

"The best time is at sunset or sunrise. If you watch closely, you can see the sun as it sets or rises."

"How long till sunset?" Caroline questioned turning to him. The wind kicked up blowing her blonde curls across her face. Her sweet scent invaded his nostrils and he inhaled deeply enjoying the floral scent.

"There is this restaurant about a block from here. We could get dinner and come back," Klaus offered. He waited anxiously for her answer - hoping she agreed.

Caroline turned back to observe the view. She'd been distant today - less talkative. "Okay."

"Is everything alright?" He asked as he led her to the stairs. They'd made a lot of headway the other day and he couldn't for the life of him think of anything he'd done to upset her.

"Yeah," she smiled but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "What kind of restaurant are you taking me to?"

"Well, Sweetheart, you can't go to France and not enjoy their authentic cuisine."

"Do you go there often?"

"I haven't been in a while. With the blue moon approaching, we have spent a lot of time looking for Elijah, Rebekah and Bonnie."

"What if Bonnie's dead? What if we can't find her? What if we can't stop them?" Caroline asked quietly her blue eyes vacant and worry etched across her face.

"I'm sure she is fine. From what I understand, she was last with Damon. She isn't out there by herself." Klaus didn't think it was much comfort, he didn't think Damon was capable of taking care of anyone, but Bonnie Bennett was a powerful witch, he knew that for a fact.

"Yeah, but witches can't practice magic or at least not a lot of it. She is a human she'd be over a hundred now."

"She is a powerful witch much like the witches in Rio. I would imagine she is like them and can practice some magic."

"But Esme couldn't find her. Esme is the strongest witch I've ever met. She can see the future. I wish she could have told us more about what we are supposed to do," Caroline sighed as they reached the bottom steps.

"Witches like to talk in riddles, Caroline. Quite honestly, I think they enjoy confusing everyone else," Klaus replied as he led them down the sidewalk.

"No, Esme can't. If she tells someone his or her future or even alludes to it, she loses her gift. Luiz told me…" Caroline trailed off her hand going to her necklace.

"Can I ask what happened to him? Are you sure he is dead?" Klaus asked cautiously. A part of him hoped the other man was dead. It was petty and low, but he couldn't imagine having to watch Caroline with another man again. She had said she'd seen him murdered, but in their world dead - didn't always mean permanently dead.

"He was with me when I was captured. I'm sure," Caroline whispered.

Klaus nodded. "It's not something you ever get over. Watching someone you care for die - worse when you are powerless to stop it." A chill crept down his spine as his own demons entered his mind.

"Twice now. I don't want to do it again. I can't do it again," Caroline said her voice strong and full of conviction.

Klaus recognized her resolve - her distance making sense, at least he thought. She was shutting him out. Doing what she could to keep from being hurt again. He wasn't going to let her do it.

"Did you know I had another brother…..Henrik?" He asked slowly the memory still painful over a thousand years later.

Caroline turned to look at him. "I remember Elena mentioning something about him after she talked to Rebekah. He's the reason your parents did the spell to turn you into vampires."

Klaus paused stopping in front of the restaurant. "He is." Klaus opened the glass door for her. "However, it was my fault that he died."

Caroline's brow furrowed as he led her through the busy restaurant to a table in the back. She took her seat at the black table and waited patiently for the waiter to take their drink orders before she questioned him. "How was it your fault?"

"Henrik wanted to see the werewolves on the full moon. I knew it was dangerous and a horrible idea. He persisted until I finally gave in. He was my youngest brother and he looked up to me - worshipped the ground I walked on," Klaus smiled as he recalled Henrik. "We snuck into the woods and hid up in a tree. We sat up there for hours and had a very uneventful evening. As the sun began to come up, we climbed down thinking it was safe. Only it wasn't. The wolves must have heard us. They came running, by that point it was too late for us to get back up the tree."

Klaus paused as the waiter returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses he set the wine glasses before them and poured the white wine. He took their food order and left again.

With a sharp intake of breath, Klaus began again, "I tried to fight them off, but they were relentless. Even though I fought them and beat them with my fists and branches, they never once touched me. They only went after Henrik," he stopped licking his lips trying to keep himself composed. "I couldn't fathom why they would hurt him and not me, until I triggered my curse. They don't hurt their own kind."

"It wasn't your fault. Sometimes things happen that are out of your control," Caroline said softly. Her eyes gleaming with unshed tears.

"I know for a fact your mother's death was out of your hands, Caroline," Klaus said as he cautiously placed his hand on top of hers. He breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't pull away. "I'm sure Luiz's wasn't in your control either."

"I shouldn't have been with him. It was my fault. Just like, I should have left Mystic Falls when Silas tried to kill my mom the first time. If I'd of listened to my instincts both of them would still be alive," Caroline said shaking her head.

"Silas?" Klaus questioned.

She swallowed and looked down at his hands resting on top of hers slowly pulling her hands away. "He got inside my head too, shortly after you left for New Orleans. He was looking for Bonnie. I thought he was you at first, until he attacked me."

"He hurt you?" Klaus asked as red flared behind his eyes.

"It wasn't real. But he did almost kill my mom. I should have gotten her out of there," Caroline said wiping at her eyes.

"You can't change the past, Caroline. There was no way you could have known what was going to happen," Klaus said trying to comfort her, though as someone who didn't offer words of comfort ever, he couldn't be sure if he was doing a good job.

Caroline sucked in a deep breath the walls she'd sealed up around herself crumbling. She'd held it together for so long and she couldn't do it anymore. Biting her quivering lip, she stood up. "I'm sorry, I need some air."

Flustered, she darted through the restaurant the roar of laughter and happiness mocking her. Once she got out to the street, she took off at vamp speed running away not really knowing where she was going. She needed space - now.

* * *

Elena walked out into the kitchen, rolling her eyes as she saw Katherine and Elijah sharing an intimate moment. Clearing her throat, she headed toward the fridge for a blood bag. The guesthouse they were staying in was cramped but still cozy and they had everything the needed.

"Good morning, Elena," Elijah said.

"Elijah," she replied tilting her head toward him.

"I was hoping to speak with you," Elijah started turning to Katherine then back to her. "We're going to be together for some time. I think it would be best if we all could be-"

"I'm willing to call a truce on one condition," Elena said cutting him off turning her gaze toward Katherine.

Katherine rolled her eyes and huffed but didn't say anything.

"What is that?" Elijah asked wrapping an arm around the other doppelganger.

"I want you to try to harder to work things out with Kol. The sooner the better, even if he doesn't show you've hurt him. Apologize to him. I know he doesn't make it easy, but you have to understand his point of view. He's hurt," Elena said meeting Elijah's gaze. "He forgave me for my part; I know he'll forgive you. You're brothers. And I want to know what you think you know about Caroline?" She finished turning to Katherine.

Maybe it was wrong to go behind Caroline's back and of course, she could only take whatever Katherine said with a grain of salt. But she was curious and when you spent 84 years with Kol and Klaus, your moral compass got a little jaded at times. Something had happened to Caroline and she wanted to know what Katherine knew.

"That's two conditions isn't it? And aren't you going behind your friends back" Katherine smirked, her eyebrow quirked up in amusement.

Elena narrowed her eyes annoyed. "Take it or leave it."

"Of course, we do not wish to fight," Elijah said after a long moment.

Katherine glared at Elijah for a long minute. "Fine!" She exhaled dramatically. "I heard about a vampire that was supposedly engaged to one of the witches in that family." The vampire was welcomed into their home as one of the family," Katherine said pointing toward the house the witches lived in. The witch, Luiz I think his name was and his lover were taken by Mikael and Esther about eight or nine years ago."

"That's why she has the ring," Elena whispered quietly as it all clicked together. Her heart broke for her friend as she wondered just what she'd been through the past 84 years. It hadn't been all sunshine's and rainbows for Elena either, but something told her that Caroline had had it worse.

"Yeah," Katherine said.

"Do you mind giving us a moment, Katerina?" Elijah asked placing a kiss to her forehead.

"Sure," Katherine said pushing away from the counter; she trailed her hand across Elijah's chest as she walked away.

Elijah waited until Katherine had left the room to speak. "I never meant to offend Kol. You have to understand that I was a bit shocked to see the two of you together."

"I understand and believe me, it didn't happen overnight. Kol isn't a gentleman, but he's never compelled me. And it's not just about that, Elijah." Elena set her blood bag down and met Elijah's eyes. Goosebumps erupted on her arms as she remembered the conversation she'd had with Kol a few decades ago. "I asked him about the other side once. It's not like anything you or I could possibly imagine. Kol said that because we are demons and immoral creatures we can never reach the other side - heaven. When we die, we are stuck in a limbo realm. You can either stay there or essentially enter a hell realm. If you stay in limbo, you can see your family and loved ones anyone you want too. The only thing is you can't interact with them and they can't see you no matter what you do." Elena cleared her throat, her voice growing thick with emotion. Kol's words still haunted her to this day. "He said he watched you, Rebekah and Klaus after his death. That you and Rebekah showed almost no remorse - that you didn't care. He feels like you don't love him. It hurt him more than you can possibly comprehend."

"He really thinks that?" Elijah questioned.

Elena nodded. "Kol doesn't show his emotions often, but he honestly believes you don't care."

"I didn't realize that. He has to know that is absurd," Elijah defended.

"He doesn't. And to be honest, I don't see how you could think he could feel any different," Elena said crossing her arms over herself. "Talk to him, Elijah, it would mean a lot to him." She glared at the eldest Original a moment longer before walking away.

* * *

Klaus mumbled under his breath as he left the restaurant. He searched frantically trying to find where Caroline had run off to. Caroline could take care of herself, he knew that, but she was in a strange city with a nightlife she didn't truly understand. Many of the vampires would leave her be, but he hadn't searched for her for the past 84 years to lose her now.

Running a hand through his hair, he headed back to the flat. That was the most logical place for her to go. He reached the flat in record time. Taking the stairs two at a time he threw open the door.

"Caroline?" He called out his voice echoing off the white walls.

Her soft footsteps padded across the hardwood floor as she walked toward him. "Hi."

Klaus opened his mouth but realized he didn't know what to say to her. He hadn't consoled anyone since he was a human, the concept was foreign to him.

Caroline flopped down on the brown leather couch, resting her elbows on her knees as her head fell forward into her hands. "I'm sorry," she mumbled

"For what?" Klaus asked sitting next to her.

Caroline sighed, her head still buried in her hands, long blonde locks shielding her face from him. "It's been just me for so long. I haven't talked to anybody like this in years. I've never talked to anyone about Luiz or what happened. Talking about it today just struck a nerve everything I've been trying to suppress came bubbling up."

"You can't shut yourself down, Caroline. I don't want to see you lose your light. I've kept myself bottled up for centuries not sharing my emotions with anyone. Even in my darkest times, I still craved the friendship of others. No one wants to live in solitude. You were right when you said I didn't connect with people. I never even tried until I met you," Klaus said quietly. What was it about Caroline that opened him up. She truly brought him out, challenged him to be a better person.

Caroline looked up at him, her watery blue eyes sad and red. "I can only think of three people who have ever truly accepted me for who I am. Even my own parents judged me most of my life. Luiz is dead and I can't bring myself to talk to Tyler and..." She turned away from him pushing herself up and walking to the French doors leading to the balcony.

Klaus swallowed at her words. Three people? Luiz and Tyler, but who was the third, he wondered. It pained him that there was another lover of hers running around somewhere.

"Out of the three of you, you're the only one who has ever really challenged me Klaus," Caroline said quietly still staring out the window.

_What? _She was talking about him?

"This scares me and I don't want to get hurt again," she said softly turning back to him.

Klaus walked toward her cautiously placing his hands on her shoulders. "We are going to get through this, Caroline both of us, together. Do you understand me?"

Caroline nodded her blue eyes blinking rapidly as she met his gaze. Breathing in she inhaled his scent and felt comfort surround her. It was useless to fight him, she realized. Whatever had been between them 84 years ago had only intensified over time.

Klaus stiffened as she wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder. He recovered quickly enveloping her in his warm strong embrace. The hug felt right and safe. For the first time in years Caroline relaxed and allowed herself to enjoy the comfort of someone else's embrace.

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed the Klaroline development. Thank you for reading, reviewing and following. Your support is inspiration and I love to hear your thoughts, even if it's constructive criticism or something you would like to see.**


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